216 



THE RAT 



salvation. Cats with young kittens are terrible 

 huntresses, but they bring home their prey un- 

 harmed, in order to teach their kittens how to hunt 

 and kill. They also like to display themselves 

 to their masters and mistresses with a mouse or a 

 bird alive in their mouths — hence the comedy. 



This wary old cat was one too many for me, 

 for she pounced upon me one hot afternoon as I 

 foolishly looked out for a breath of fresh air ; my 

 hole was growing stuffy with the heat. I did not dare 

 to struggle between her sharp teeth, and the terror 

 of my position soon brought on a feeling of torpor, 

 which is Nature's way of administering chloroform 

 to her children when they are in distress. I was 

 dimly conscious of being carried reasonably tenderly 

 over two or three fields and through a garden ; I 

 remember that I smelt the carnations. Then a 

 sudden jump on the part of my captor caused her 

 teeth to prick me, and awoke me again to vivid 

 consciousness. 1 was on the ledge of an open 

 window, and beyond me was a room full of ladies 

 in holiday attire. I heard a voice exclaim, ' Look 

 at pussy ! Whatever has she got V and the words 

 had hardly left some fair lips when down leapt 

 pussy into their midst. 



There arose an awful scream, and then a stam- 



