MAROONED 137 



long latent instincts, had learned the heedless 

 vagrancy of the wild. Nevertheless, with all 

 her capacity for learning and adapting her- 

 self, she had not forgotten anything. So 

 when, one day in June, a crowded boat came 

 over from the mainland, and children's 

 voices, clamouring across the grass-tops, 

 broke the desolate silence of the island, the 

 cat heard, and sprang up out of her sleep on 

 the verandah steps. For one second she 

 stood listening intently. Then, almost as a 

 dog would have done, and as few of her 

 supercilious tribe ever condescend to do, she 

 went racing across to the landing-place, to 

 be snatched up into the arms of four happy 

 children at once, and to have her fine fur 

 ruffled to a state which it would cost her an 

 hour's assiduous toilet to put in order. 



