ierce
look which I expected. The whiskers had been pressed down on the side
of the face by the bandaging; but when the pressure was taken away they
stood out, just as they would have done in life. He was a magnificent
creature, a tiger-cat of great size. But as we looked at him, our
first glance of admiration changed to one of fear, and a shudder ran
through each one of us; for here was a confirmation of the fears which
we had endured.

His mouth and his claws were smeared with the dry, red stains of recent
blood!

Doctor Winchester was the first to recover; blood in itself had small
disturbing quality for him. He had taken out his magnifying-glass and
was examining the stains on the cat's mouth. Mr. Trelawny breathed
loudly, as though a strain had been taken from him.

"It is as I expected," he said. "This promises well for what is to
follow."

By this time Doctor Winchester was looking at the red stained paws.
"As I expected!" he said. "He has seven claws, too!" Opening his
pocket-book, he took out the piece of blotting-paper marked by Silvio's
claws, on which was also marked in pencil a diagram of the cuts made on
Mr. Trelawny's wrist. He placed the paper under the mummy cat's paw.
The marks fitted exactly.

When we had carefully examined the cat, finding, however, nothing
strange about it but its wonderful preservation, Mr. Trelawny lifted it
from the table. Margaret started forward, crying out:

"Take care, Father! Take care! He may injure you!"

"Not now, my dear!" he answered as he moved towards the stairway. Her
face fell. "Where are you going?" she asked in a faint voice.

"To the kitchen," he answered. "Fire will take away all danger for the
future; even an astral body cannot materialise from ashes!" He signed
to us to follow him. Margaret turned away with a sob. I went to her;
but she motioned me back and whispered:

"No, no! Go with the others. Father may want you. Oh! it seems like
murder! The poor Queen's pet...!" The tears were dropping from under
the fingers that covered her eyes.

In the kitchen was a fire of wood ready laid. To this Mr. Trelawny
applied a match; in a few seconds the kindling had caught and the
flames leaped. When the fire was solidly ablaze, he threw the body of
the cat into it. For a few seconds it lay a dark mass amidst the
flames, and the room was rank with the smell of burning hair. Then the
dry body caught fire too. The inflammable substance