To Mountain Tarn 



would come forth. A female might choose to have 

 her young among the forest leaves instead of in the 

 snug basket in the kitchen. At any time a wild 

 cat might be had for a consideration, caught in 

 the wilds, too, so that there should be no mistake. 

 In the dearth of captures an enterprising crofter 

 might have obliged the curious from his own fire- 

 side. 



The era of the crosses passed, as that of the 

 true cat had done. Pussy no longer wore the feral 

 panoply, nor put down her ears, nor sent sparks 

 from her eyes, nor of a night did she seek to 

 masquerade as a wild beast. She went forth in 

 her own slinking gait and sleek coat, faintly 

 scintillating in the dark. In wilder scenes some 

 may have lingered on. In some remote croft may 

 remain to this day descendants of the first cross 

 to hunt the surrounding woods. This seems not 

 improbable in the light of recent events. But for 

 more than a quarter of a century no wild cat was 

 heard of that would deceive a gamekeeper, bring 

 a wise look into the face of an expert, or tempt a 

 mere naturalist to a breach of the seventh com- 

 mandment. 



A friend, who has just returned from the north, 

 tells me that the wilds round where he stayed 

 were infested by cats. A chance shot was all 

 that was tried for a while, till the visitation 

 reached the dimensions of a plague. Field and 

 covert were harried ; fur and feather alike fell 

 D 33 



