Page:The Cat and the Captain (1927).pdf/67

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was curious. Pretty soon he had to jump on the rail to see what was going on.

"Scoot!" cried the Captain, and the Cat scooted. But every time he hit the deck, there were four little white pawmarks of fresh paint. The Captain was cross, but the Cat was crosser. The paint stuck between his toes. He had to sit down and spread each paw like a fan and lick and bite all the paint off. And what faces he made at the taste of it!

When he was all clean again he lay on a pile of rope and watched the sea gulls. They had long wings, and big sliding shadows. They floated over his head and mewed almost like kittens. When a shadow