KITTENS ADOPTED BY A DOG. 199 



After having conveyed them out of the reach of 

 Miss Mackenzie's kind offices^ she would frequently 

 abandon them for a whole day^ climbing the tops 

 of high trees in pursuit of wild game; whilst the 

 Cries of the little ones distressed her young mistress, 

 as she was unable to afford them any assistance. The 

 only means she had of diverting her chagrin, was in 

 administering relief to poor Zara : but this amuse- 

 ment soon failed, for Zara disappeared, except when 

 her services were required. The servants complained 

 of strange noises in the garrets of a night, and the cat 

 totally deserted her post. In this state of affairs. 

 Miss Mackenzie frequently listened for the plaintive 

 cries of the neglected little ones ; but all was silent, 

 and she was tormented with the idea that they had 

 perished with hunger, aggravated by self-reproach 

 for not having borrowed a ladder for their deliverance. 

 Two days afterwards, she saw Zara coming out of 

 the oven, as happy as possible, and observed that she 

 did not come, as usual, to be relieved of her milk: 

 the same thing happened several times, and at length 

 curiosity induced Miss Mackenzie, with much difficul- 

 ty, to descend to her retreat. She found her stretch- 

 ed at length in the great oven, and the five kittens 

 sucking her with all their might ; for her teats were 

 so large, that they were obliged to stretch their mouths 

 to the utmost, to effect their purpose. She brought 



