Later that night the tournament began. Fowlie, a large orange tabby, was manager of the Fish Bowl and the evening's announcer. "I'm pleased to introduce the Alley Cats versus the Pinstripes," his voice bellowed over the roaring crowd.

The teams approached their appointed lanes and to everyone's surprise, Slick and Smokey took their places beside the Pinstripe team. Jasper proudly walked to the center line. Ten large gophers popped up from their holes and stood at attention.

Achoo! Jasper coughed up a big slimy hairball and rolled it down the aisle. Zing! The ball hit the gutter and flew high in the air, landing against the wall with a Splat!