THE MURDEROUS CAT 225 



' ' I 'm not going to eat you alive, ' ' he said ; * ' I 'm 

 not even going to carry out my threat. I happen 

 to know why you took the eggs. And I'll tell you 

 something more about that collection of yours, and 

 that is that if you'd put naphthaline crystals in 

 your cabinet as well as ordinary insect powder, 

 your nests would keep better. I'll give you some 

 before you go." 



Shan stared at the Feather Man as though he 

 were a wizard. 



''Who — who told you that I collected eggs?" he 

 stammered. 



'' 'Sir'!" the Feather Man prompted. 



" — that I collected eggs, sir." 



"What else would you have been doing on my 

 land? And I'll tell you something more. The 

 two birds ' nests you robbed were those of a Boat- 

 Tailed Grackle and a Gray Kingbird. Am I not 

 right?" 



"Ye — ^yes," said Shan. He caught himself, 

 "Yes, sir. But how did you know it ? " 



"I know what happens to every bird on my 

 place," the Feather Man replied confidently. 



This was Shan's chance. 



"Do you know how many of them your cat 

 eats ? " he blurted out. 



