If we did not, we would not know what
was going on in the world outside our city. As it is, we are well
posted for dogs and cats journey here from all over the world to speak
at our meetings and to tell us what is happening in the countries from
which they come. Now I hope all of you will favor us by speaking at
our meeting to-night. It begins at twelve o'clock, and I will come and
escort you to our place of meeting. We start rather late as it is
easier for us to steal away from our homes unmolested at that hour
than at any other. Many of our members are children's pets and can't
get away until they are tucked in bed as they keep such close track of
them."

Billy stood up and bowing to the line of cats on the fence and to the
heads of the dogs under the fence, he began:

"Friends and countrymen, we thank you for your courtesy and kind
invitation to speak before your club this evening. This we will be
pleased to do provided we can escape our host and are not locked in
the shed. But I think I can promise you we will be there for if we
should be shut in the shed, my good strong head can butt down and make
short work of a board or two that would give us access to the alley.
Should we be tied, we can easily chew the rope in two. Consequently I
think you may expect us at the appointed hour if some one will kindly
show us the way to where your meeting is to be held."

Just then Mr. Stubbs opened the back door, and stepped into the yard.

"Bless my soul! I never saw so many dogs and cats in my life. I must
be seeing things, for surely there can't be that many cats and dogs in
this neighborhood." He rubbed his eyes to make sure he had seen a line
of cats sitting on top of the fence and a line of dogs peeping under
the fence. But when he looked again, there was not a single cat or dog
to be seen. The only ones he could discover were Stubby and Button,
both apparently asleep outside the shed door.

"Well, I declare that is the most peculiar thing that ever happened to
me in my life! I distinctly saw dozens of cats and dogs and now I
can't see one. Heigho! My old eyes must be playing tricks with me."
And that was all he thought about it. He had come out to shut the
Chums in the shed, but seeing them all three fast asleep, he decided
to let them sleep on and not shut them in the shed that night.

[Illustration: Billy saw the man raise the mop to come after him
(Page 35)]

CHAPTER II

THE NEW YORK DOG AND CAT CLU