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The Slum Cat 
now to find food. The burden increased as 
the offspring grew up big enough to scramble 
about the boxes, which they did daily during 
her absence after they were six weeks old. 
That troubles go in flocks and luck in streaks, 
is well known in Slumland. Kitty had had three 
encounters with Dogs, and had been stoned 
by Malee’s negro during a two days’ starve. 
Then the tide turned. The very next morning 
she found a full milk-can without a lid, suc- 
cessfully robbed a barrow pensioner, and found 
a big fish-head, all within two hours. She had 
just returned with that perfect peace which comes 
only of a full stomach, when she saw a little 
brown creature in her junk-yard. Hunting mem- 
ories came back in strength; she did n’t know 
what it was, but she had killed and eaten sey- 
eral Mice, and this was evidently a big Mouse 
with bob-tail and large ears. Kitty stalked it 
with elaborate but unnecessary caution; the 
little Rabbit simply sat up and looked faintly 
amused, He did not try to run, and Kitty 
sprang on him and bore him off. As she was 
not hungry, she carried him to the cracker- 
box and dropped him among the Kittens. He 
32 
