172 GRIMALKIN THE CAT 
smell better than did Grimalkin, for she was more 
accustomed to the ways of men, and had sat by the 
fireside ; but there the flames had been caged behind 
iron bars here in the free woods they had it all 
their own way. Grimalkin growled, and then, 
stealthily, as though he had sighted a rabbit snare, 
he slipped into the bushes and glided away. Zoe 
stood there longer, for although she hated and feared 
the fire, yet it was less strange to her than to her 
mate. 
The flames crept along until they came to a large 
tuft of grass, as dry as tinder. There was a sudden 
flare and the grass was gone ; but the topmost 
tongue licked a bramble bush, and in an instant it 
was in a blaze. At night a fire puts on a certain 
majesty with which to cloak its terrors ; but by 
day it has nothing to redeem its native fierceness. 
The brushwood was parched with the drought and 
the flames roared up the dry stems. 
Did some kind angel stoop and whisper a word 
of warning to Zoe ? She suddenly turned and 
ran to the ' Jungle,' which was not very far 
away. The kittens were hungry and begged a 
meal, but she disregarded them, and, picking 
up the youngest, set off at a steady pace across 
Knockdane. The woods were quite silent but for 
the song of the birds. Close to the nursery an old 
