dog back there you'd rather play
with than come to the Curlytops?" asked the old sailor. "What's the
idea?"

Skyrocket acted in such a queer way that Uncle Toby turned back to see
what the matter was. And this was just what the wise dog seemed to want,
for he wagged his tail joyfully and raced back ahead of Uncle Toby.

When the old sailor reached the clump of trees, under the heavy branches
of which the snow was not so thick, he heard a faint mewing sound.

"Bless my heart! A kitten!" cried Uncle Toby.

And a kitten it was! A dear, cute, little kitten, half way up one of
the trees, cuddled down in the thick, green branches.

"Well, no wonder you didn't want to come back and leave this poor little
kitten here in the cold and storm," said kind Uncle Toby. "You're a good
dog, Skyrocket!"

At this Skyrocket wagged his tail harder than ever, so it seemed a
wonder that it did not fly off, and his throat must have ached with all
the barking he did.

The kitten mewed and stood up when it saw Uncle Toby. It did not appear
to be afraid of Skyrocket, who was capering around on the ground under
the tree.

"I'll get you down and take you back with me," said the old sailor.
"Come on, pussy! I don't know where I am going to get any milk to give
you until we get to my place in Pocono. But I guess you'll stand it
until then. I wonder how you got out here in the woods all alone?"

There was no way of finding this out, and there was no house near from
which the little kitten might have wandered. Uncle Toby had an idea it
might have been lost out of some car in which some children, like the
Curlytops, had been riding. Then the little animal wandered into the
clump of evergreens for shelter, and Skyrocket had trailed it there. The
dog had probably discovered the pussy as he was racing around after he
had slipped out of the car, unseen by the children or Uncle Toby.

"But you'll be all right now," said the kind old sailor. "Come to me,
pussy!"

The kitten arched its back, seeming glad of a chance to stretch after
being cramped on the limb. Reaching up, Uncle Toby lifted it down and
put it snugly in the pocket of his big overcoat.

"Well, I wonder if you'll come back with me now?" asked Uncle Toby of
Skyrocket, when the kitten had been rescued.

Skyrocket seemed very willing, for he no longer hung back, but followed
with joyful barks and waggings of his tail as Uncle Toby strode through
the storm with the kitten he had rescu