THE HOME PUSSIES 269 



oldest and heaviest, finished his first, and after hcking 

 his saucer quite clean, and then his owja lips, he looked 

 round and clearly said, " That was very good, and 

 please I should like a little more, especially fish and 

 cream." 



When they had all done there was a grand pur- 

 ring and washing of paws and faces before they got 

 off their stools, and as they dispersed to find cosy 

 sleeping-places, as wise pussies do after a comfortable 

 meal, we all thought that our little party had been 

 brilliantly successful, and had even some thoughts of 

 sending a report of it to the Morning Post. 



Many years ago, when Kew was a place of royal 

 residence, and my father was quartered there with 

 a detachment of his battalion (1st Batt. Grenadiers), 

 frequent were his drives with some brother oflScer 

 between Kew and London. And to beguile the tedium 

 of the way they would lay a mild bet on the number 

 of cats seen, each taking his own side of the road. 

 But a eat sitting in a window summarily decided the 

 game in favour of the one on whose side the pleasing 

 picture was displayed. 



And in my father's later years, when I used 

 to drive with him in the country, at the sight of 

 a pussy in a cottage window, his face would light 

 up with a merry tAvinkle, and I always expected 

 and never failed to hear the well-known formula, 

 " Cat in a window's Game ! " 



