Part 8 (1/2)

”Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that!” sighed the China Cat. ”If you could only be taken to the store of Mr. Mugg he would put a new tail on you.

He mended the broken leg of the Nodding Donkey.”

”I'm afraid it is too late,” whined the Cloth Dog. ”But I am sorry for you. You are such a fine toy, and almost new.”

”Yes, I am quite new. In fact, I have never been sold as yet,” said the Cat. ”I wouldn't be out of the store now, except for the fire. I was going to be taken by a very nice little girl named Jennie Moore. But now, alas, it is too late for that!”

”Tell me about the fire,” begged the Cloth Dog. ”It will make me forget that I have no tail.”

So there on the shelf in the tenement kitchen, the China Cat told the Cloth Dog the story of the fire in the toy shop, and how she had come to be taken away by Jeff.

”I wondered where he had found you when I saw him bring you in this morning,” barked the Dog, when the Cat finished her story. ”Indeed, you have had many adventures; almost as many as I.”

The two unfortunate toys became very friendly there in the half darkness of the night. The Cat was just telling about the Nodding Donkey, and how he had made the lame boy smile, when she suddenly stopped mewing.

”What's the matter?” asked the Cloth Dog.

”I heard a noise,” said the China Cat.

”Oh, that's only rain,” went on the Dog. ”It is raining hard outside, and you hear it more plainly here because we are so near the street.

Don't worry. Though this place is dirty, no rain comes in.”

So the Cat went on with her story, but as the rain came down harder and faster it brought her another adventure.

Not far from the tenement was a river. And because there had been much rain before this last hard shower, the river had risen very high, until it was almost ready to overflow the banks.

Down pelted the rain, and soon there was a louder roar in the street outside.

”Is that just the rain?” asked the Cat of the Dog.

”It does sound a little different,” the Dog replied. ”I wonder if anything is happening? And see, what is that on the floor?”

”It is water!” cried the Cat, catching the gleam of it in the light of the street lamp. ”Water is running in under the door!” she added.

”Then the river must be overflowing,” barked the Dog. ”The water is running in here. Oh, what shall we do?”

As the two toys watched they saw the puddle of water on the floor grow larger. The rain pelted down harder than before, and all at once there was a shouting in the streets.

”Get out! Get out, everybody!” came the cry. ”There's a big flood! The river is rising! Get up and get out, everybody!”

CHAPTER VII

THE RESCUE

For a few moments after this wild shouting in the street there was no sound in the negro bas.e.m.e.nt where the China Cat and the Cloth Dog without any tail were perched on the shelf. The rain pelted down harder than before, a regular flood in itself, and to the noise of the drops was added the roar from the flooded river.

Presently there came a pounding on the bas.e.m.e.nt door of the tenement where Jeff, the colored boy, lived.

Bang! Bang! Bang! came the loud knock.