COUSINS OF CATS 233 



room), where, Dodo, your motlier, then a small baby, 

 was asleep in her cradle. At ten o'clock they went to 

 their homes, while I peeped at them from the hall 

 window, and finally went to bed, dreaming of Wolves, 

 Indians, and Lions. 



" About half-past seven the next morning the party 

 returned, father carrying Trumpeter over his shoulder, 

 and our neighbors the pair of Wildcats. They had 

 followed the trail upon which our hound had started 

 nearl}' all night, in and out of brush, marsh, and wood. 

 When the male cat was finally brought to bay. Trum- 

 peter, not distinguishing between this savage beast and 

 the usual Coon, had attacked him, only to be painfully 

 wounded, and then a bullet had killed the second of 

 this pair of robbers. 



" I can remember now exactly how the Wildcat 

 looked, as it lay on the door stone, for they gave the 

 female to me because I first saw it. It was nearly 

 three feet long from nose to root of tail, which was, 

 perhaps, a little over six inches. It had a round head 

 and large pointed ears, from which the long winter 

 hairs were not completely shed. Its long body was 

 covered with brindled, barred, and mottled fur, of light 

 and dark brown, rusty and gray. Its legs and feet 

 seemed long and large compared to its lean muscular 

 body. jM}-- father kept the skin of this cat and tanned 

 it, and, old and worn, there it is now on the settle ! " 



" Only think," said Nat, as the children began to 

 handle the pelt and stroke it eagerlj^ " this old skin 

 once lived in our woods and frightened Uncle Roy ! " 



" Did Trumpeter get well, and what became of the 

 kittens ? " asked Dodo. 



