OCR Text |
Show page 204 got i t ." "That's r i g h t . Well, I hope you luck anyway." Thompson stayed clear of McFall for several days. McFall wasn't talkative with anyone except Thompson. His reticence bred d i s i n t e r e s t . Kessler and h i s bunch cooled toward him. McFall kept t o himself during the day, exercised some, did his assigned tasks, caused no t r o u b l e . When Thompson brought in a cat, a stray found at the salvage yard, he offered i t to McFall. The cat was with k i t t e n s , but was emaciated from hunger. McFall fixed her up inside a coal box in the boiler room, "wrangled a can of Pet milk from the mess sergeant and fed her. In due time she gave b i r t h t o three k i t t e n s . McFall was pleased. He wrangled more milk, had the kittens lapping before their eyes were open. In five days the k i t t e n s were crawling farther and farther from the coal box. McFall and the mother cat kept r e t r i e v i n g them. Tiger, the mascot, f i r s t sax* a k i t t e n one Sunday afternoon. McFall was in the v i s i t i n g room with his m i l i t a r y laxvyer. Thompson in his barracks heard Tiger bark. He jumped up, ran to the boiler room. Kessler and his cronies, redfaced and sweating,, were baiting Tiger with one of the k i t t e n s . Thompson snatched the. t e r r i f i e d , k i t t e n from Kessler, put i t back in the coal box,, booted Tiger outside. The k i t t e n ' s eyes were milky white from f r i g h t , Kessler and his cronies were s i l e n t. Thompson stared them down, returned to his barracks without saying a word. The stockade was quiet when McFall returned from the |