THE OCELOT. 



163 



then presenting it to his eager lips. He tasked, 

 found it good, and settled at once to his meal, 

 while his foster-mother had a chance to look at 

 him. 



A tiger " kitten " is a pretty little beast in 

 gray and black fur, and he looked something 

 like one of our familiar pussy's babies when five 

 or six weeks old. But it was plain that this 

 youngster lying so peacefully in her lap, and 

 taking his milk from a sponge, was not intended 

 to live in a house beside the fire and be cod- 

 dled. His body was long and lank, for he must 

 be able to run great distances in hunting, and 

 to jump when he saw his prey ; his paws were 

 enormous, for they must pull down and handle 

 his meat for him ; his head was big and clumsy, 

 and in every way he showed that he was born 

 to live in the woods, to dine upon monkeys, and 

 to catch them first. 



But how his fate was changed when he went 

 to a boarding school — a lady's pet. Food came 

 to him without a hunt ; a warm bed was his for 

 the taking ; anything he wanted he had only to 

 demand, for the human race whom he feared 

 and hated had become his servants. He was 

 satisfied ; he sheathed his claws once for all, 

 and became a gentle, affectionate little beast, as 

 tame — almost — as pussy herself. 



I say almost, for he had one or two wild 



