38 
THE KAT. 
over and over, till the hair on Lis legs and body became quite 
singed with the heat ; and had they not taken him off, there 
is no knowing what might have been the consequences. His 
master held a perfect control over him, and had made, for 
his especial benefit, a little whip, with which he used to 
make him sit upon his hind legs in a begging posture when 
bid, or jump through a whalebone hoop, drag a small cart 
to which he was harnessed, carry sticks, money, &c., in his 
mouth, and perform many other amusing tricks. He per- 
fectly understood the use of the whip, for whenever it was 
produced, and his master's face or voice betrayed anger, in 
fear and trembling he would scamper up the sides of the 
room, or up the curtain, and perch himself on the cornice, 
waiting till a kind word from his master brought him down 
hopping about and squeaking with delight. In these 
gambols of mirth he would run round so fast after his tail 
that it was impossible to tell what the whirling object was, 
and his master would be forced to pick him up to stop him. 
At night he would exhibit another cat-like propensity, for 
he would stretch himself out at full length before the fire on 
the rug, and seemed vastly to relish this luxurious way of 
enjoying himself This love of warmth made him sometimes 
a troublesome creature, for when he found the fire gone out, 
and the room becoming cold, he would clamber up gently on 
to his master's bed, and bury himself under the clothes. He 
was never allowed to remain there long, if they were awake, 
but was made to turn out. In that case he would take up 
his quarters in the folds of his master's clothes, which were 
placed on a chair ; and there he was allowed to remain 
till the morning. The man became so fond of him, 
that he taught him, at the word of command, to come 
into his great-coat pocket. In the morning, when he went 
out to his daily occupation of driving his omnibus, it was only 
necessary to say Come along, Ikey ! " and the anxious Ikey 
was instantly crawling up his legs. He did not carry him 
all day in his pocket, but put him in the boot of his omnibus, 
to act as guard to his dinner. But why did not the rat eat his 
master's dinner ? " Because," said the man, " I always gives 
him his belly-full when I has my own breakfast before start- 
ing." The dinner was never touched, excej^t when there 
happened to be plum-pudding. This Ikey could not resist. 
