With something like a howl of fury Casson rushed at Ephraim, and, seizing him by the scruff of his neck, thrashed him until his arms ached. Then flinging him on the ground with the remark, "You little devil, I hope I've killed you," he untied the cat. Weak with pain and loss of blood, the wretched animal had not the strength to move, and Casson, lifting it tenderly up, carried it to the house. Going straight into the kitchen, he showed it to Mrs. Griffiths.
"This is your son's work," he said. "I'm going to show it to the police at once, and I only hope he'll get a thorough good birching."
Mrs. Griffiths ceased what she was doing and looked at Casson defiantly.
"What do you want to interfere with Ephraim for?" she remarked. "He ain't done nothing to you, has he?"
"He's done nothing to me, perhaps," Casson retorted, "but he's done something to this cat. You can see for yourself."
"Well, he's only a boy," Mrs. Griffiths responded; "and if he has ill-treated the cat, there's not much harm done. I expect it's the same cat that has been after the chickens. The cats about here are a perfect pest."
"That's no excuse for hooking their eyes out," Casson said hotly. "I intend leaving at once. Here's a week's rent," and, taking some money from his pocket, he deposited it on the table.
At that moment there were sounds of steps on the gravel outside, loud hullabalooings, and Ephraim burst into the kitchen.
"The gentleman's been hitting me," he bellowed. "He struck me on the head and boxed my ears."
"You struck him!" Mrs. Griffiths screamed, her cheeks white with fury. "You dared to strike him! I'll have the law on you, see if I don't. There, there, Ephraim, cease crying, and you shall have what is left of that custard pudding you liked so much yesterday."
This bribe apparently taking effect, Mrs. Griffiths gave her offspring a final cuddle, and then veered round with the intention of renewing an attack upon Casson. Before she could open her mouth to speak, however, there was another howling on the part of Ephraim, and Casson, under cover of it hurried off to his bedroom to collect his things. As he went upstairs, both the boy and his mother showered abuses on him, and he thought he heard Ephraim say something to the effect that he wished they could serve him as they had served someone else--the name of the someone else being drowned in a loud hush from Mrs. Griffiths, who afterwards began to speak very excitedly in Welsh.