Meanwhile, Bob and Nellie had to interrupt their task of parcel-collecting to go after the truant Rover, who, not satisfied with the damage he had already done, was in active pursuit of the traffic manager’s favourite cat, right through the station.
The roving delinquent ultimately ‘treed’ his prey in one of the waiting-rooms, where poor pussy sought refuge on the mantelpiece, knocking down a glass water-bottle and tumbler in jumping thither out of the reach of the frantic Rover, who scared half to death the occupants of the room as he dashed in, all in full cry!
Then a most delightful concerted duet ensued.
“Mia-ow, phoo, phit, phiz!” screamed pussy with all the varied expression of which the cat language is capable, running up the gamut into the treble and dying off in a wailing demi-semi-quaver. “Mia-o-w!”
“Bow, wow, wuff!” chanted Rover, singing his portion of the refrain in deep bass notes that produced a hollow echo through the waiting-room, making the noise seem to proceed from twenty dogs instead of one. “Wough!”
Nor was Rover long content merely to take part in a musical performance only.
Bent on more active hostilities, he jumped up at the angry cat in her retreat on the mantelpiece—standing up on his hind legs for the purpose; and then, being only able to sniff near enough for puss to slap his face energetically with her paws right and left with a sharp ‘smick smack,’ Rover uttering an agonised howl that came in at the end of the chorus and must have been heard all over the station.
A catastrophe was avoided, just in time, by Bob and Nellie appearing on the scene of action; when, catching hold of the end of Rover’s chain, they bore him away captive again to where their aunt and the Captain were waiting and wondering at their long delay.
Nemesis followed behind the trio in the shape of one of the railway police.
He came in the ostensible interests of the hunted cat and damaged property belonging to the waiting-room; but the elders of the party regarded him to be more intent on obtaining ‘hush-money,’ wherewith to blot out Rover’s misdeeds and line his own pockets at the same time.