"And I'm all alone, and not even a cat to care about me," I said to

myself; and, weak and miserable, the tears came into my eyes as I

stopped in one of the cross paths.

I started, and dashed away a tear or two that made me feel like a girl,

for just then there was a rustle, and looking round, there was one of

Old Brownsmith's cats coming along the path with curved back, and tail

drooped sidewise, and every hair upon it erect till it looked like a

drooping plume.

The cat suddenly rushed at me, stopped short, tore round me, and then

ran a little way, and crouched, as if about to make a spring upon me,

ending by walking up in a very stately way to rub himself against my

leg.

"Why, Ginger, old fellow," I said, "are you come to say good-bye?"

I don't think the cat understood me, but he looked up, blinked, and

uttered a pathetic kind of mew that went to my heart, as I stooped

down and lifted him up in my arms to hug him to my breast, where he

nestled, purring loudly, and inserting his claws gently into my jacket,

and tearing them out, as if the act was satisfactory.

He was an ugly great sandy Tom, with stripes down his sides, but he

seemed to me just then to be the handsomest cat I had ever seen, and the

best friend I had in the world, and I made a vow that I would ask Old

Brownsmith to let me have him to take with me, if his brother would

allow me to include him in my belongings.

"Will you come with me, Ginger?" I said, stroking him. The cat purred

and went on, climbing up to my shoulder, where there was not much room

for him, but he set his fore-paws on my shoulder, drove them into my

jacket, and let his hind-legs go well down my back before he hooked on

there, crouching close to me, and seeming perfectly happy as I walked on

wondering where Ike was at work.

I found him at last, busy trenching some ground at the back of Shock's

kitchen, as I called the shed where he cooked his potatoes and snails.

As I came up to the old fellow he glanced at me surlily, stopped

digging, and began to scrape his big shining spade.

"Hullo!" he said gruffly; and the faint hope that he would be sorry died

away.

"Ike," I said, "I'm going away."

"What?" he shouted.

"I'm going to leave here," I said.

"Get out, you discontented warmint!" he cried savagely, "you don't know

when you're well off."

"Yes, I do," I said; "but Mr Brownsmith's going to send me away."




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024