sitting again beside the dead kitten began to lick and fondle it as
though it were alive.

'See!' said I, 'the effect of a really strong man. Even that animal in
the midst of her fury recognises the voice of a master, and bows to
him!'

'Like a squaw!' was the only comment of Elias P. Hutcheson, as we moved
on our way round the city fosse. Every now and then we looked over the
wall and each time saw the cat following us. At first she had kept going
back to the dead kitten, and then as the distance grew greater took it
in her mouth and so followed. After a while, however, she abandoned
this, for we saw her following all alone; she had evidently hidden the
body somewhere. Amelia's alarm grew at the cat's persistence, and more
than once she repeated her warning; but the American always laughed with
amusement, till finally, seeing that she was beginning to be worried, he
said:

'I say, ma'am, you needn't be skeered over that cat. I go heeled, I du!'
Here he slapped his pistol pocket at the back of his lumbar region. 'Why
sooner'n have you worried, I'll shoot the critter, right here, an' risk
the police interferin' with a citizen of the United States for carryin'
arms contrairy to reg'lations!' As he spoke he looked over the wall, but
the cat on seeing him, retreated, with a growl, into a bed of tall
flowers, and was hidden. He went on: 'Blest if that ar critter ain't got
more sense of what's good for her than most Christians. I guess we've
seen the last of her! You bet, she'll go back now to that busted kitten
and have a private funeral of it, all to herself!'

Amelia did not like to say more, lest he might, in mistaken kindness to