t stop that, will
you?" and he pointed to a fine gray cat that was rubbing herself against
a large, comfortable-looking Newfoundland.

"Immediately," said Puss, and he bawled in a loud voice: "There is to be
no friendly intercourse between soldiers of the two armies. It is in the
highest degree detrimental to military discipline."

And the dog shouted: "Stop being pleasant to each other, right off. I
can't have it. You always have fought, and you've got to fight now."

The big Newfoundland at once made a snap at the gray cat, and she put up
her back, spit and clawed at him, and ran off as fast as she could.

Then Puss waved his handkerchief, as a flag of truce, and said in a loud
voice, "There will be a cessation of hostilities for five minutes, until
the non-combatants are removed."

The able-bodied cats arranged themselves in rows, and the dogs did the
same. The two generals stepped grandly in front of the lines, and the
battle seemed about to begin, when a young and frisky cat, at the far
end of the front rank, took advantage of a dog opposite who had turned
his head, and jumped upon his back, clawing him in so cruel a way that
he howled dreadfully.

At this, Mother Hubbard's dog advanced angrily, and taking the cat by
the nape of the neck, threw her among the cat army, saying: "The trumpet
hasn't sounded, and we haven't begun yet. That was a real sneaky trick,
just like a cat."

"Sir!" cried Puss in Boots, loftily, "Do you mean to insinuate that I am
a sneak?"

"I didn't say so precisely," returned the dog. "But if you want me to, I
will." Then he added, in a taunting tone, "You are a sneak!"

Puss trembled with rage at this insult, and drew the little sword he
wore at his side.

"Prove it!" he cried, brandishing his blade.

"Didn't you sneak yourself and your master into a castle and fine
clothes that you had no right to?"

"Didn't you pretend to be dead once and frighten your poor mistress
nearly out of her wits? Take _that_, sir!" and he made a furious cut at
him.

But the dog dodged the weapon, and, with a cutlass suddenly pulled from
behind him, made a fierce blow at the cat. Puss leaped nimbly away, with
a scream of triumph and defiance. Then they set to with all their skill
and hate and cunning.

Presently Puss fell, apparently dead, and Sir John Hubbard, the victor,
was leaning on his cutlass, looking sorry, when suddenly Puss jumped up,
grasped his sword and made a savage lunge at the dog.