GRIMALKIN THE CAT 173 
blackbird was feeding a brood of fledglings, and a 
hedgehog nosed along the path. Above the tree 
tops a faint smoke rose, quivering in the sunshine. 
Zoe trotted away with her head up, carrying the 
kitten very carefully lest her teeth should lacerate 
its tender skin. She crossed Knockdane and sought 
the open country, for she mistrusted every tree and 
thicket since she knew what she had left in the 
woods behind. She found an empty rabbit hole, 
laid the kitten inside, and cantered back to Knock- 
dane ; but it was more than half a mile away, and 
by the time she reached it, little white ashes were 
floating over the ' Jungle ' like snowflakes, and the 
fire was singing merrily to itself. Nevertheless a 
wide path separated it from where the kittens lay, 
and so far the danger did not seem so very pressing. 
Zoe picked up a second youngster and carried 
it off. As she set her face towards Knockdane for 
the second time she saw that a thick smoke was 
rolling up and reddening the sun. The country 
lay still in the heat haze. As yet no one seemed to 
have noticed anything unusual on the hill, for 
the valley was sparsely populated, and most people 
were enjoying a siesta. When Zoe reached the 
' Jungle ' she saw a frightened rabbit scudding away. 
The fire was raging in the saplings near and licking 
away the brushwood with a fierce hiss. A charred 
