248 The Book of Cats. 



that as sure as I happened to allow my small feet 

 to swing loosely while seated at breakfast or dinner, 

 so surely would the black and white Cat, if he were 

 in the room, make a sudden dash at the hated boots, 

 giving my leg a severe wTench in his endeavour to 

 fling himself on his back for the purpose of tearing 

 the life out of them after his own peculiar mode. 



" My enemy was, however, finally subdued, and 

 in a rather curious way. Some one brought me one 

 of those difficult musical instruments known as a 

 mouth organ, and delighted with my new pos- 

 session, I w^as torturing it as I sat on a seat in 

 the garden. Suddenly there appeared in a tree 

 just above my head, my foe, the black and white 

 Cat, with his tail waving from side to side, his 

 eyes staring, and his mouth twitching in an odd 

 sort of way. I must confess that I was rather 

 alarmed, and In my nervous condition, I might be 

 excused if I construed the expression of the Cat's 

 countenance to intimate, " Here you are then with 

 another hideous noise, a noise that is even more 

 suggestive of rat squeaking than your abominable 

 boots ; however, I've caught you by yourself this 

 time, so look out for your eyes." I did not, how- 

 ever, cease playing my organ; my enemy's green 

 eyes seem.ed to fascinate me, and my tremulous 



