So Puss peeped in again, and pretty soon he saw a tiny light way down deep, like the flicker of a candle. And by and by, as his eyes grew used to the darkness, he saw a flight of stairs. Then what do you think he did? Jump into the hollow stump and climb down? That's just what he did, and it wasn't long before he found himself in a little hall opposite a small door with a glass knob inside of which was an electric light, which I suppose had been put there by the little old man in case he got home after twelve at night and his wife had blown out the candle. All of a sudden the door opened and a little old woman, bent and withered, asked, in a shrill voice: "How dare you come down to our Hollow Stump hall? I'll cut off your whiskers, tail and all." "Please, ma'am," said little Puss, Junior, "I won't tell anybody." And I guess he would have climbed up the stairs then and there if he hadn't feared she might cut off his tail when he turned around. "Let him go, mother," said the little old man. "He would have given me a ride on his horse on my way home had we met sooner." But how he knew that is more than I can tell. "Here, Sir Cat. Take this gold piece and tell neither man nor beast where you got it." And he pushed Puss up the little flight of stairs. "TICK, TACK, TOO" ONE day Puss, Junior's, Good Gray Horse lost a shoe. "Gracious me! I must find a smithy," said Puss, Junior, anxiously. Luckily there was a small village near by, and pretty soon he drew rein in front of a blacksmith shop. But, oh, dear me! there was no one there except a small boy. Jack Jingle went 'prentice To make a horseshoe; He wasted the iron Till it would not do. His master came in And began for to rail. Said Jack, "The shoe's spoiled, But 'twill still make a nail." He tried at the nail, But, chancing to miss, Said, "If it won't make a nail, It shall yet make a hiss." Then into the water Threw the hot iron, smack, "Hiss!" quoth the iron. "I thought so," said Jack. "You good for nothing!" cried the blacksmith, coming into the shop, "here's a customer at hand and you have no shoe for his horse." "How long will it take to make one?" asked Puss, Junior. "All day and maybe longer," said the smith--"that is, if you depend on that clumsy lad." [Illustration] "Well, I don't want to depend on him," said Puss, with a grin; "neither do I want to take chances with my good horse." "Neither shall you, my Lord Cat," replied the smith. "I will see that your horse is well shod, for he is indeed a fine beast." "He has good legs, has he not?" asked Puss, running his paw down the foreleg of the big gray horse, like a professional horseman. "He has that," said the blacksmith, "and a fine head, too."