The Puma 275 



many-colored rug he was accustomed to lie on was his 

 own. He had favorite places in which to sleep, meditate, 

 and make observations. It would have been disagreeable 

 indeed for any servant about the establishment to take off 

 his bright silver collar after he grew to any size, and when 

 he captured anything and put it away, that article became 

 his private property, and he had no notion of giving it up. 

 Candor compels the admission that flattering as would 

 have been some tokens of disinterested affection, he never 

 gave any. What he did was to please himself. When he 

 had no desire to be taught, which was often the case, a 

 more stupid, sulky, and unsatisfactory pupil could not be 

 imagined ; but when his interest happened to be excited he 

 was quickness itself, and he seldom forgot. One might 

 as well have caressed a stuffed cat, or tried to romp with 

 a dead one, as to have expected any recognition of ad- 

 vances in these directions when Sefior Gato felt disposed 

 to contemplation, and if compelled, as of course was the 

 case sometimes, to do anything against his humor, he was 

 not accustomed to leave any doubt about the disgust and 

 anger which possessed him. From first to last, always, 

 and under all circumstances, he like Richard, was "him- 

 self alone," and never stooped to the snobbishness of pre- 

 tence. Thus it happened that although under fostering 

 care and paternal rule the creature grew in grace continu- 

 ally, he never became fitted to adorn general society. 

 The asperity of his nature easily showed itself ; the wild 

 beast broke through the habitual dignity of his demeanor 

 on small provocation. Not even that to him, extraordi- 

 nary person with whom he was most intimate, and whose 



