CHAPTER VII


CATNIP ISLAND


Little cats, big cats, black, white, gray, yellow, striped, spotted,
Maltese, tortoise-shell, calico, and tiger cats! Cats of all sizes and
all kinds, cats of all ages, from tiny furry babies wheeled in
perambulators by their mamas to gray old grandpas hobbling along by
the aid of canes or crutches--all the cats of Catnip Island had
trooped down to the shore to watch the landing of the _Merry Mouser_.
Captain Mittens, decked out in the False Hare's jewelry, was the first
to leave the pirate ship. He stepped along jauntily, nose in the air
and the haughtiest kind of expression on his whiskered face. After him
came Growler leading Rudolf, then Prowler with Ann, then the Maltese
pirate with Peter by the hand. The spotted sailors brought up the
rear, all but two who had been left to guard the ship. As soon as the
shore cats saw that their Chief had brought home three prisoners from
his cruise, they set up a great yowl of joy, and began to dance,
prancing and bounding in the air and whirling round and round upon
their hind legs.

[Illustration: Captain Mittens was the first to leave the pirate
ship.]

"Oh, my eye!" exclaimed Rudolf, quite forgetting where he was and
standing still to watch their antics. "Don't I wish I had my
slingshot!"