The Canvas Mountain

I marched back indoors and locked onto a slouched canvas mountain beside the armchair! Thick olive fabric, looped webbing straps, and heavy brass buckles gleaming in the lamp glow. An unbreached outpost! I lunged forward and slammed both clawed feet into the bottom pocket. No give! I hooked my claws into the coarse canvas weave, hauled my bulk upward, and scrambled past the chunky zipper track. At the crest, a dangling brass clasp swung directly into my path. I snapped my jaws shut over the cold metal ring—CLINK! Levering my weight forward, I wedged myself into the deep dip between the shoulder straps. Chin propped on the rim, watch post locked down!