CALICO AND THE KITTENS 139 



not know a kitten of hers from some other moth- 

 er's 'squirrel? I was desperate indeed. Calico 

 was a hunter. She had eaten more gray squir- 

 rels, perhaps, than I had ever seen. She would 

 think I had been foraging for her the mother 

 of seven green kittens! and would take my 

 charges as titbits. Still I was determined to try. 



My neighbor's kittens were enough and to 

 spare. One of Calico's last year's family still 

 waited a good home; and here were seven more 

 to be cared for. Might not two of these be spir- 

 ited away, far away; the two squirrels substi- 

 tuted, and the old cat be none the wiser? 



I went home by way of my neighbor's, and 

 found Calico in the basement curled up asleep 

 with her babies. She roused and purred ques- 

 tioningly as we bent over the basket, and watched 

 with concern, but with no anxiety, as two of her 

 seven were lifted out and put inside a hat upon a 

 table. She was perfectly used to having her kit- 

 tens handled. True, strange things had hap- 

 pened to them. But that was long ago ; and there 

 had been so very many kittens ! How could any 

 one mother, and she only a cat mother, remember 

 about them all? She trusted us with an ear 

 pricked and eyes watchful, however. But they 



