Tom Kitten was getting very frightened! He climbed up, and up, and up.

[Illustration]

Then he waded sideways through inches of soot. He was like a little
sweep himself.

It was most confusing in the dark. One flue seemed to lead into
another.

There was less smoke, but Tom Kitten felt quite lost.

He scrambled up and up; but before he reached the chimney top he came to
a place where somebody had loosened a stone in the wall. There were some
mutton bones lying about--

"This seems funny," said Tom Kitten. "Who has been gnawing bones up here
in the chimney? I wish I had never come! And what a funny smell? It is
something like mouse; only dreadfully strong. It makes me sneeze," said
Tom Kitten.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

He squeezed through the hole in the wall, and dragged himself along a
most uncomfortably tight passage where there was scarcely any light.

[Illustration]