rbanks had done with their cats? By the
most prolonged and careful selection and exclusion they had developed a
race of cats that did not sing! That's a fact. The most those poor dumb
brutes could do was to make a kind of squeak when they were hungry or
wanted the door open, and, of course, to purr, and make the various
mother-noises to their kittens.

Moreover, they had ceased to kill birds. They were rigorously bred to
destroy mice and moles and all such enemies of the food supply; but the
birds were numerous and safe.

While we were discussing birds, Terry asked them if they used feathers
for their hats, and they seemed amused at the idea. He made a few
sketches of our women's hats, with plumes and quills and those various
tickling things that stick out so far; and they were eagerly interested,
as at everything about our women.

As for them, they said they only wore hats for shade when working in the
sun; and those were big light straw hats, something like those used in
China and Japan. In cold weather they wore caps or hoods.

"But for decorative purposes--don't you think they would be becoming?"
pursued Terry, making as pretty a picture as he could of a lady with a
plumed hat.

They by no means agreed to that, asking quite simply if the men wore the
same kind. We hastened to assure her that they did not--drew for them
our kind of headgear.

"And do no men wear feathers in their hats?"

"Only Indians," Jeff explained. "Savages, you know." And he sketched a
war bonnet to show them.

"And soldiers," I added, drawing a military hat with plumes.

They never expressed horror or disapproval, nor indeed much
surprise--just a keen interest. And the notes they made!--miles of them!

But to return to our pussycats. We were a good deal impressed by this
achievement in breeding, and when they questioned us--I can tell you we
were well pumped for information--we told of what had been done for dogs
and horses and cattle, but that there was no effort applied to cats,
except for show purposes.

I wish I could represent the kind, quiet, steady, ingenious way they
questioned us. It was not just curiosity--they weren't a bit more
curious about us than we were about them, if as much. But they were
bent on understanding our kind of civilization, and their lines of
interrogation would gradually surround us and drive us in till we found
ourselves up against some admissions we did not want to make.

"Are all these breeds of