S6 The Book of Cats. 



Tom greeted them with a respectful mew. Unac- 

 customed to such salutations, the priest, instead of 

 returning the welcome with a reciprocal politeness, 

 rushed out of the sanctuary, shouting to his com- 

 panions, *' Here's a monster from the deep ! ci 

 monster from the deep ! " 



The whole party of devotees hastened home, col- 

 lected several hundreds of their brethren, put on 

 their war-caps, brought their spears, clubs, and 

 slings, blackened themselves with charcoal, and, 

 thus equipped, came shouting on to attack the 

 enemy. Tom, affrighted at the formidable array, 

 sprang towards the open door, and, darting through 

 the terror-stricken warriors, sent them scampering 

 in all directions. In the evening, while the brave 

 conspirators were entertaining themselves and a 

 numerous company with a war-dance, to recruit 

 their spirits, poor Tom, wishing to see the sport, 

 and bearing no malice in his heart, stole in amongst 

 them to take a peep. Again the dusky heroes 

 seized their weapons and gave chase to the unfor- 

 tunate Cat ; but " the monster of the deep " was 

 too nimble for them. Some hours afterwards, when 

 all was quiet, Tom unwisely endeavoured to renew 

 his domiciliary relations with man. In the dead of 

 the night he entered a house, crept beneath a 



