was impatient to be back in
California again; there was nothing to wait for. Caterina was greatly
relieved to find that he did not wish her to go with him. The Queen had
said she must go, if the black signor wished it; and Caterina was
wretched with fright at the thought of the journey, and of the country
full of wild beasts and savages. "Worse than Africa, a hundred times,"
she said, "from all I can hear. But her Majesty says I must go, if I am
needed. I'd rather die, but I see no way out of it."

When it came to bidding Rea good-by, however, she was almost ready to
beg to be allowed to go. The child cried and clung to her neck; and
Caterina cried and sobbed too.

But the wise Jim had provided himself with a powerful helper. He had
bought a little white spaniel, the tiniest creature that ever ran on
four legs; she was no more than a doll, in Rea's arms; her hair was like
white silk floss. She had a blue satin collar with a gilt clasp and
padlock; and on the padlock, in raised letters, was the name "Fairy."
Jim had thought of this in New York, and bought the collar and padlock
there; and the dog he had bought only one hour before they were to set
out on their journey. She was in a beautiful little flannel-lined
basket; and when Rea clung to Caterina's neck crying and sobbing, Jim
stepped up to her and said,--

"Don't cry, missy; here's your little dog to take care of; she'll be
scared if she sees you cry."

"Mine! Mine! That sweet doggie!" cried Rea. She could not believe her
eyes. She stopped crying; and she hardly noticed when the Queen herself
kissed her in farewell, so absorbed was she in "Fairy" and the blue
satin collar. "Oh, you are a very good black man, Signor Jim," she
cried. "I never saw such a sweet doggie; I shall carry her in my own
arms all the way there."

It was a hard journey; but the children enjoyed every minute of it. The
account of all they did and saw, and the good times they had with the
kind Jim, would make a long story by itself; but if I told it, we should
never get to the Hunter Cats; so I will not tell you anything about the
journey at all except that it took about six weeks, and that they
reached San Gabriel in the month of March, when everything was green and
beautiful, and the country as full of wild flowers as the children had
ever seen the country about Florence in Italy.

Mr. Connor had not been idle while Jim was away. After walking up and
down his house, with his thinking-cap