232 FOUB'FOOTED AMERICANS 



the call of her kittens. I saw only a strange monster 

 sxjitting fire, ready to spring at me, and imagined I 

 heard the cries of a hundred more in the trees. Under 

 these circumstances it was not strange that I ran back 

 to my companions, with such a tale of horror that the 

 whole party hurried home as fast as possible to spread 

 the news, not daring to look behind them, and spilling 

 arbutus blossoms like a paper chase trail over three 

 miles of road. 



" Our parents wisely decided that I must have seen 

 one AVildcat, if not a whole army, and concluding that 

 the missing poultry could only have been taken by a 

 beast that climbed, organized a hunting party composed 

 of six mixed dogs, who understood the Coon trade, five 

 men and as many rifles, while I was allowed to follow. 

 The mother Cat was easily treed and quickly shot ow- 

 ing to her unwillingness to leave the neighborhood of 

 her log house. I had begged for the kittens to tame 

 for pets, so they were poked out of the log and put in 

 a bag. 



"All of a sudden, as we turned toward a path to 

 leave the Avood by a different way, our old hound Trum- 

 peter put his nose to the ground and started off like a 

 shot, the less well-bred pack following at his heels. 



" ' Go home with your bag of kittens,' said my father, 

 in a tone that brooked no argument, as he dashed after 

 the dogs. Though it was a lonely walk, the bag was 

 heavy, and tlie kittens clawed and quarrelled, there 

 was nothing for me to do but go. 



" Sundown came, no father ; the moon rose, and the 

 wives of the four other hunters gathered at our house, 

 and sat solemnly in the sitting-room (now my wonder 



