CAPTAINS ALL

By W.W. Jacobs



THE WHITE CAT

[Illustration: "The White Cat."]

The traveller stood looking from the tap-room window of the _Cauliflower_
at the falling rain. The village street below was empty, and everything
was quiet with the exception of the garrulous old man smoking with much
enjoyment on the settle behind him.

"It'll do a power o' good," said the ancient, craning his neck round the
edge of the settle and turning a bleared eye on the window. "I ain't
like some folk; I never did mind a drop o' rain."

The traveller grunted and, returning to the settle opposite the old man,
fell to lazily stroking a cat which had strolled in attracted by the
warmth of the small fire which smouldered in the grate.

"He's a good mouser," said the old man, "but I expect that Smith the
landlord would sell 'im to anybody for arf a crown; but we 'ad a cat in
Claybury once that you couldn't ha' bought for a hundred golden
sovereigns."

The traveller continued to caress the cat.