ds in a regular beaten track, which was, however, so
closely beset with bushes, that we pushed through it with difficulty. We
had now become so anxious to find out what animal this was, and where it
went to, that we determined to follow the track, and, if possible, clear
up the mystery. Peterkin said, in a bantering tone, that he was sure it
would be cleared up as usual in some frightfully simple way, and prove to
be no mystery at all!

The beaten track seemed much too large to have been formed by the animal
itself, and we concluded that some larger animal had made it, and that
the smaller one made use of it. But everywhere the creeping plants and
tangled bushes crossed our path, so that we forced our way along with
some difficulty. Suddenly, as we came upon an open space, we heard a
faint cry, and observed a black animal standing in the track before us.

"A wild-cat!" cried Jack, fitting an arrow to his bow, and discharging it
so hastily that he missed the animal, and hit the earth about half a foot
to one side of it. To our surprise the wild-cat did not fly, but walked
slowly towards the arrow, and snuffed at it.

"That's the most comical wild-cat I ever saw!" cried Jack.

"It's a tame wild-cat, I think," said Peterkin, levelling his spear to
make a charge.

"Stop!" cried I, laying my hand on his shoulder; "I do believe the poor
beast is blind. See, it strikes against the branches as it walks along.
It must be a very old one;" and I hastened towards it.

"Only think," said Peterkin, with a suppressed laugh, "of a superannuated
wild-cat!"

We now found that the poor cat was not only blind, or nearly so, but
extremely deaf, as it did not hear our footsteps until we were quite
close behind it. Then it sprang round, and, putting up its back and
tail, while the black hair stood all on end, uttered a hoarse mew and a
fuff.

"Poor thing," said Peterkin, gently extending his hand, and endeavouring
to pat the cat's head. "Poor pussy; chee, chee, chee; puss, puss, puss;
cheetie pussy!"

No sooner did the cat hear these sounds than all signs of anger fled,
and, advancing eagerly to Peterkin, it allowed itself to be stroked, and
rubbed itself against his legs, purring loudly all the time, and showing
every symptom of the most extreme delight.

"It's no more a wild cat than I am!" cried Peterkin, taking it in his
arms. "It's quite tame. Poor pussy, cheetie pussy!"

We now crowded around Peterkin, and were no