Read Online The Case of the Vampire Cat by John R. Erickson - Free Book Online

now?”
    I couldn’t believe what she said. “Well, it’s all over. We’re finished.”
    â€œWhat do you mean, we’re finished! What about all your survival tricks? What about tearing out their eyeballs?”
    She gave me a sad smile. “That was just a bluff. It works on dogs but not on coyotes. Nothing works on coyotes. I’m a dead cat, Harvey, and nothing can save me.”
    â€œYeah, but . . . what about . . .”
    She shook her head. “It’s no use. I always knew they’d get me, and they did. But you can make a run for it. They won’t follow you.”
    â€œMe make a . . . that wouldn’t be a very noble thing to do.”
    â€œNo, but who needs to be noble at a time like this?”
    â€œHmm. That’s a point. And you’re just a cat. The world is full of cats.”
    â€œThat’s right. Only one Me but plenty of cats.”
    I began easing off to the north. “Well, Mary D, it was a real pleasure meeting you. I have mixed feelings about running out on you like this, but I think I can live with my feelings.”
    She waved a paw. “Go north until you come to Moonshine Springs. Just west of the spring, you’ll find a trail out of the canyon. I’ll stall them as long as I can. Good-bye, Harvey. When you get back to civilization, eat a piece of cheese for Mary D Cat.”
    â€œI sure will, and thanks for . . .”
    â€œGo! Hurry!”
    Since the coyotes were almost upon us, that seemed good advice. I turned and made a lightning dash up the canyon. Free at last! Boy, that had been a close call. Why, if the cat hadn’t . . .
    I couldn’t believe she’d done that. It was almost enough to force me to rethink my Position on Cats. I mean, I’d always thought of cats as selfish and . . .
    I found myself slowing to a walk. It just wasn’t right—me walking away from danger and leaving a poor helpless cat to be mauled by cannibals. I mean, I’d had some success in dealing with coyotes before, and maybe I could . . .
    You won’t believe this, but I found myself reversing directions and heading back down the canyon. I couldn’t believe it either. I mean, she was only a CAT and the world was full of cats and who cared if . . .
    When I arrived back at the scene, the coyote brothers were standing over Mary D. They were licking their chops. They seemed fairly surprised at my sudden appearance.
    â€œEvening, guys, how’s it going? Hey, you found my cat, thanks a million. I’d love to stay and talk, but we’re kind of in a hurry, don’t you see, and . . .”

    The brothers glanced at each other and started laughing. “Ha! Hunk big stupid for blunder into coyote camp!”
    â€œStupid? Hey, I didn’t blunder in here. I came to pick up my cat.”
    They got a bigger laugh out of that. “Ha, plenty stupid, ’cause coyote not give up cat, and not give up Hunk, too, ’cause Hunk same guy who made foolish talk from back of truck—about coyote momma.”
    â€œThat? Hey, that was nothing, just a little joke, guys. Honest.”
    â€œUh! little joke on Hunk, ’cause Hunk now stay for big coyote feast, oh boy!”
    I had sort of expected this. I mean, I really hadn’t expected them to let us walk away without an argument, and it just so happened that I had prepared a clever plan.
    It was a very clever plan and I knew it would work, because I had tried it several times before and it had never failed. The plan rested on my knowledge of the coyote mind. I knew how they thought, see, and I knew their weak spots. Watch this.
    I waited for them to stop laughing at their good fortune. Then, “You know, Snort, I happen to be familiar with your culture and tradition, and I know that before a major feast, you guys love to fight and gamble and sing.”
    Snort shook his head. “Eat first. Then sing and gamble and fight and sing.”
    â€œNo,