d there; white on the throat, breast, belly, and the
inside of the legs. It occurred to me that if my suspicions were
correct we might eventually find that we had introduced a decidedly
awkward member into our domestic circle. But, meanwhile, I kept my
suspicions to myself.

Billy displayed the utmost interest in his new pet; apparently he was
unable, for the moment, to think of anything else. He was particularly
anxious that the little beast should settle down in the house and become
thoroughly domesticated, and with that object in view he at once
proceeded to liberally smear its fore paws with part of our slender
remaining stock of butter, having heard that cats so treated never
deserted the house in which they had received such hospitality. Next,
he set to work to make a kennel out of odds and ends of material left
over from the construction of our house. As for me, I considered that I
was far more usefully employed in stripping the bark from the branches
which I had gathered, and converting them into bows.

Our respective enterprises progressed as satisfactorily as could be
desired. Billy's protege--which in a moment of inspiration he had given
the highly original name of "Kit"--fed to repletion upon broth and fish,
was apparently quite content to bask in the sun all day on the floor of
the veranda, to be petted and played with by us when we could spare the
time, and to take up his quarters at night in Billy's kennel, upon a
luxurious bed of sweet-scented hay; while the bows, upon which I
expended some pains, promised to be everything that I could desire.
Billy and I made another voyage to the swamp in North Island and
collected reeds enough to make some hundreds of arrows, which we headed
with hard, sharp thorns, embedded in about three inches of clay at the
head to impart steadiness of flight to the missile, an arrangement which
I found to answer admirably. Then, when our bows were completed, we set
up a target in front of the house and practised assiduously, until
within a fortnight we became sufficiently expert to hit a six-inch
bull's-eye, at two hundred yards, every time. Having attained to this
degree of skill, we could get as many birds as we needed for food
without the further expenditure of any ammunition; we accordingly
hoarded the remainder of our powder and shot against the possible moment
when we should be in dire need of it.

Striving for perfection, I made twelve bows before I was quite sat