22 The Book of Cats. 



Such facts as this are curious, certainly, and remain 

 a puzzle to philosophers. 



This habit of hiding itself in secret places is 

 one of the most unpleasant characteristics of the 

 Cat. I know many instances of it — especially of a 

 night alarm when we were children, ending in a 

 strange cat being found in a clothes bag. 



Here, indeed, we have truth several degrees 

 stranger than fiction ; but this is not the only 

 wonderful story the authoress has to tell. I will 

 give you some others very slightly abridged. 



" A year or two ago, a man in the south of Ireland 

 severely chastised his cat for some misdemeanour, 

 immediately after which the animal stole away, and 

 was seen no more. 



" A few days subsequently, as this man was start- 

 ing to go from home, the Cat met and stood before 

 him in a narrow path, with rather a wicked aspect. 

 Its owner slashed his handkerchief at her to frighten 

 her out of the way, but the Cat, undismayed, sprang 

 at the hand, and held it with so ferocious a gripe, 

 that it was impossible to make it open its jaws, and 

 the creature's body had actually to be cut from the 

 head, and the jaws afterwards to be severed, before 

 the mangled hand could be extricated. The man 

 died from the injuries." 



