POMPEY’S ONLY TRICK

Northern Advocate, 21 March 1934, Page 2

POMPEY’S ONLY TRICK

Eric. and Ted and their little sister Rosy had left a prim town house in Sydney to go on a long promised visit to an uncle and aunt who had settled way back in the bush. The children liked their new surj roundings, the bungalow building set . right in the waste of gum trees and . wattles, with its verandah hung with passion flowers. They doted on the , animals on the farm, from their uncle’s wonderful riding horse Starlight, down to the prick-eared little Joey, , everyone’s pot, a baby kangaroo. The , only pet they did not admire in the homestead was their uncle’s cat Pom- - ijpyrle was a big black and white animal, with pink nose and staring white eyebrows and whiskers. He was of [, an unsociable nature, and spent his time between sleeping on Starlight’s , back and following his master about, 1 really more like a dog than a cat. He L took notice of no one but Uncle Tom, ; and at meal times would sit on the arm of his chair, being helped to food 1 before human beings. “I can’t think why you like Pom- ’ pey so much, Uncle,” said Rosy. “Our cat at home is much prettier. He lots ■ himself be loved, too, and at tea he ; : sits up and begs.’ ’ “Pompey is no beauty,’’ said Un- . de Toni, “but he has one trick of his own. Not a parlour trick exactly, but everyone admires it in this part of the world.” Slowly the afternoon went by; it was very hot. A great stillness l brooded over the house. The men were out and so were the children. Aunt Annie was getting the tea ready against everyone’s return when suddenly there was a clattering of little boots and the children rushed in dusty and begrimed. “Come quickly, Aunty! The game cock which you got from England is fighting most dreadfully with a laughing jackass and all the other laughing jackasses are sitting round in the gum trees ‘ha-haing’ as if they would split their sides. We tried to get hold of the fighters, but they just scuffled away in a cloud of dust.” “My beautiful game cock! I’ll soon settle them,” said Aunt Annie, whose poultry was the pride of her heart. “Go, children, and wash your hands and faces. Ton are as black as tinkers and tea will soon he ready.’’ She disappeared hot foot. They thought of the nice wash and made their way to the cool bathroom. As the three were dabbling hot hands in a basin of cold water their attention was attracted by a strange shadow waving ■on the wall. They turned to see on the window sill the I panting jaws of a big snake driven jin from the bush by the great heat land the lack of water. Slowly he 1 poured himself into the room and | lay stretched out; the cool linoleum was grateful to his parched body. Aghast stood the children, penned in one corner of the room. They had no weapons—the snake sticks without which no bush child goes to school were all in the hall. And what was worse, they were between the snake and the water it wanted. “Come quickly, Auntie!” screamed Rosy and her far-away footsteps could be heard. The snake raised its head. It uttered a long-drawn hiss which warned them it was going to strike. There was a rush of padded paws, a flash of black and white lightning, and Pompey launched himself at the big snake. One pounce, one bite at the back of the neck and all was over. “I. guessed what had happened when I saw him run in,” panted Aunt Annie as she entered. “The snakes that cat has killed! You are safe anywhere from serpents if you have Pompey beside you. Look at him now!” For the eat had got hold of the limp body by the tail and was dragging it out of the room. “Oh, Auntie, don’t let him eat the horrid thing,” cried Rosie; “it might poison him yet.” “Eat it? Not he,” said Aunt Annie. “Ho is taking it away to show it off to Uncle. He will lay it down at his feet and purr like a steam engine, expecting to be praised and petted.” Thus the children learned Pompey’s only trick.