The old man led the way to the kitchen, where a small fire was
burning.

"I shall put no more coals on the fire," he said, "and it will be
out in a quarter of an hour. Put them in there and leave the door
open. I will close it in an hour when the oven cools."

The next day Frank was again at work. It took him all day to get
fur and feather to lie exactly as he wished them. In the afternoon
he asked the naturalist for a piece of flat board, three feet long,
and a perch, but said that instead of the piece of board he should
prefer mounting them in a case at once. The old man had not one
in the shop large enough, and therefore Frank arranged his group
temporarily on the table. On the board lay the cat. At first sight
she seemed asleep, but it was clearly only seeming. Her eyes were
half open, the upper lip was curled up, and the sharp teeth showed.
The hind feet were drawn somewhat under her as in readiness for
an instant spring. Her front paws were before her, the talons were
somewhat stretched, and one paw was curved. Her ears lay slightly
back. She was evidently on the point of springing. The macaw perch,
which had been cut down to a height of two feet, stood behind her.
The bird hung by its feet, and, head downwards, stretched with
open beak towards the tip of the cat's tail, which was slightly
uplifted. On a piece of paper Frank wrote, "Dangerous Play."

It was evening before he had finished perfectly to his satisfaction.
Then he called the naturalist in. The old man stopped at the door,
surveying the group. Then he entered and examined it carefully.