122 NEIGHBOURS UNKNOWN 



day the wind changed, and presently blew up 

 a gale. In a few hours it had uncovered the 

 barrel. At one corner a tiny spot of light 

 appeared. Eagerly the cat stuck her paw 

 through the hole. When she withdrew it 

 again, the hole was considerably enlarged. 

 She took the hint, and fell to scratching. At 

 first her efforts were rather aimless ; but 

 presently, whether by good luck or quick 

 sagacity, she learned to make her scratching 

 more effective. The opening rapidly en- 

 larged, and she squeezed her way out. 



The wind was tearing madly across the 

 island, filled with flying sand. The seas 

 hurled themselves trampling up the beach, 

 with the uproar of a bombardment. The 

 scourged grasses lay pallid, bowed flat in long 

 quivering ranks. Over the turmoil the sun 

 stared down from a deep unclouded blue. 

 The cat, when she first met the full force of 

 the gale, was fairly blown off her feet. As 

 soon as she could recover herself, she crouched 

 low and darted into the grass for shelter. 

 But there was little shelter there, the long 

 stalks being held down almost level as if by 

 an implacable hand. Through their lashed 

 lines, however, she sped straight before the 

 gale, making for the cottage at the other end 

 of the island, where she would find, as she 



