CHAPTER X

LOST AND FOUND


When Freddie woke up all was very, very dark around him. At first he
thought he was at home, and he called out for somebody to pull up the
curtain that he might see.

But nobody answered him, and all he heard was a strange purring, close
to his ear. He put up his hand and touched the little black kitten,
which was lying close to his face. He had tumbled back in the straw and
this had proved a comfortable couch upon which to take a nap.

"Oh, dear me, I'll have to get back to mamma!" he murmured, as he
struggled up and rubbed his eyes. "What can make it so awful dark? They
ought to light the gas. Nobody can buy things when it's so dark as
this."

The darkness did not please him, and he was glad to have the black
kitten for a companion. With the kitten in his arms he arose to his
feet and walked a few steps. Bump! he went into a big box. Then he went
in another direction and stumbled over a barrel.

"Mamma! Mamma!" he cried out. "Mamma, where are you?"

No answer came back to this call, and his own voice sounded so queer to
him that he soon stopped. He hugged the kitten tighter than ever.