140 



with swallows darting in and out overhead, and the 

 sound of the horses and chickens coming up to us 

 from the stable beneath. 



I don't suppose our mother found it as comforta- 

 ble a home as we did. She must have been 

 hungry often, for, though there were plenty of mice 

 and rats in the barn, there were several cats there, 

 too. Our mother was no longer young at that 

 time, and often and often she would come back to 

 the nest not having caught a mouse all day, because 

 some younger cat had been quicker than she in 

 pouncing on the prey. 



However, we were young and thoughtless, and 

 that never troubled us. We lived there happily 

 enough, for awhile, as I say. Then one day, just as 

 we were getting big enough to think of mousing 

 for ourselves, the farmer happened to come climbing 

 over the mow. Out of our nest we jumped in 

 haste and ran away, some one way and some 

 another. 



" By George ! " cried the farmer. " Another lot 

 of kittens. This is getting to be too much. Here, 

 Tom, I wish you'd get a bag and catch these kittens 

 and carry them off." 



" Yes sir," said Tom, " I'll do it." 



