He liked fish very much; as do all of the cat species, but if he must
have a feast of trout it looked as though he would have to procure the
same in some other way than stealing it from those on board the
Chippeway Belle.

Strange to say Bumpus was the first to crawl out; and his labored
progress over his comrades evoked a continual series of grunts and
complaints.

"Hurrah! it's still there, and we ain't going to be cheated out of our
treat after all!" he was heard to cry, as he gained the open air.

"Well, here's the first case on record of that fellow ever getting awake
ahead of the rest of the bunch," said Step Hen.

"Yes, and he mighty near flattened me into a pancake when he crawled on
top of me to get to the doors," grunted Giraffe.

"Say, where's my other shoe? Anybody seen my leather around? I bet you
now some fellow just grabbed it up, and tossed the same to that pesky
old cat last night; and if so, how'm I ever to limp around with only one
shoe for my both feet; because some of the things went into the water,
for I heard the splash?"

"If anybody threw it, you did yourself, Step Hen," asserted Giraffe, not
liking this thing of being accused of things promiscuously; "because I
saw something that looked mighty much like a shoe, in your hand when you
crawled out."

"Then why didn't, you tell me about it, Giraffe?" complained the other,