CHAPTER XV.
“We’re going to play ‘circus’ in the barn this afternoon,” said Posy at dinner, “and we’re going to have the kittens for the animals.”
“Nancy plays circus first-class,” said Tom; “she isn’t such a scare-cat as most girls are.”
“Where did she learn anything about the circus?” asked Papa. “I don’t believe she ever saw anything but the tents.”
“Yes,” answered Posy eagerly; “her says when the circus was here once her skun the fence and peeked through a hole under the tent and her saw the horses’ feet.”
“Poor child!” said Papa, “the next time the circus comes she shan’t ‘skin’ the fence, but shall go with you and see the whole performance.”
“Hannah,” said Posy after dinner, “have you seen anything of the barn-cat’s collar? Her has lost it.”
“No,” answered Hannah, “I haven’t seen it, and what’s more I don’t expect to. I guess it won’t be the last thing that you’ll find missing. You’d better look after your things a little sharper, for I don’t trust that Nancy too fur.”
“Nancy is a good little girl, Hannah. Her doesn’t steal. It’s very mean to say such things,” said Posy angrily.
“Well, it won’t do no harm to keep your things locked up,” replied Hannah.
Nancy came in from the barn, where she had been to feed the kittens.
“I can’t find the gray kitten anywhere,” she said, looking very much distressed. “I’ve hunted and called, but she doesn’t answer.”
“Perhaps the rats have carried her off,” said Posy, with a troubled air.
“I guess she’s gone to hunt for mice,” suggested Tom, who appeared at that moment. “She won’t run off. Let’s go and play ‘circus’ in the barn-chamber. You bring the house-kittens, Posy, and I’ll get the barn-kittens.”
“You needn’t mew so loud,” said Posy to the house-cat as she took up the kittens. “I won’t hurt your babies, and I’ll bring ’em back all safe. They are going to be teached to play circus.”
The house-cat was not at all afraid to trust her kittens with Posy. What she said was: “I don’t like this way of snatching up my kittens and carrying ’em off to play with those barn-kittens. I expect they’ll get to be just as common as they are, if this isn’t put a stop to.”
The kittens themselves, however, had no such fears, and were delighted at the prospect of a play with the lively barn-kittens; for it was not very entertaining to lie in the box by the kitchen stove, and Hannah always drove them back if they ventured out of it when the children were not there. So when Posy dumped them on the barn-floor by the side of the tiger-kittens, they began to play in earnest.
“Let’s have a tiger-hunt,” said Tom, after watching the kittens at their play; “and the barn-kittens can be the tigers, and the house-kittens can be our hunting-dogs.”
“Oh, splendid!” cried Posy, clapping her hands and jumping up and down.
“First, we’ll make a cave,” said Tom, “because tigers live in caves, you know;” and he began to dig a cave in the side of the hay-mow. Nancy entered into the work with great zest, and soon a fine cave was finished and the tigers were placed in it.
“What fun it would be if they could understand what we said to them!” said Nancy. “I used to think that Billy understood what I told him, he always seemed so sorry when I told him how hungry and tired I was.”
“Mamma says that animals know more than we think they do,” said Tom.
It really did seem as if the tiger-kittens knew what was expected of them; for they stayed quite still in the cave, crouching down in the dark, and the little house-kittens sat down and looked up at Tom while he explained the game, just as if they understood every word he said.
“Now,” said Tom, “we’ll be the hunters and we’ll go out hunting for tigers, and the dogs will run about searching for game, and then we’ll discover the cave and send ’em in to drive the tigers out.”
“I should think really and truly tigers would eat the dogs up,” said Nancy, who had a very practical mind.
Tom looked somewhat crestfallen at this view of the question, but Posy said,—
“We’ll play these were good, kind tigers, and didn’t hurt anybody, won’t we?”
So it was agreed that these tigers were exceptional tigers, and the hunting-party started out in search of game.
“Dear me!” cried Posy suddenly, “I saw a great ugly rat run across there.”
“It couldn’t have been a rat,” said Tom. “They don’t dare to come out here; they’re afraid of the barn-cat.”
“It was a rat,” persisted Posy; “I know it was. It had a great long tail, and it had long yellow teeth, and one of them was broken off. I do wish the barn-cat were here.”
“No matter,” said Nancy, who was eager to continue the tiger-hunt; “he’s gone now, and I don’t believe he’ll come back.”
So the hunting-party started once more, and the dogs kept ahead, just exactly as if they had understood what Tom said about the game; and soon they came to the cave, and went up to it and looked in.
“Hush!” said Tom, “the dogs have scented game;” and the party stood still.
“Go in and drive ’em out!” said Tom to the dogs; and in they went, and soon out came the tigers followed by the dogs. The tigers ran a short distance and then turned and faced the dogs, and the dogs pounced on them, and they rolled over and over till the children laughed so heartily they were obliged to sit down.
Soon one of the tigers jumped up and ran off, and one of the dogs chased him into a corner, and then the tiger did something very unexpected. All at once he stopped and put his head on one side as if he were listening to something, and then he gave a little mew, and both he and the hunting-dog began pulling the hay away with their claws.
“They hear a mouse, I do believe,” said Tom.
“They wouldn’t dig the hay away like that for a mouse,” said Nancy; “they’d sit still and watch till it came out.”
“What can it be?” said the children, looking at each other in surprise, for the other two kittens had joined them, and all four were evidently in a state of great excitement.
“Let’s help ’em,” said Nancy; and she at once began pulling the hay away in large handfuls. Soon she heard a faint “meaw!” from beneath the hay, and she kept on digging till at last out walked the little gray kitten!
“You dear thing!” cried Posy, catching her up in her arms and hugging her. “How did you get in there? Her must have some milk right straight off, Nancy.”
Tom and Nancy followed Posy into the kitchen; and the barn-cat, who had just returned from a hunting expedition of her own, followed too, and jumped on the window-sill of the kitchen that she might see what went on without being driven away by the house-cat or Hannah.
The little gray kitten was soon drinking her saucer of milk contentedly, while the children stood around as happy as she herself was; but not one of them was more gratified than the barn-cat, who was so fond of her little protégé.
“Why, where has my necklace gone,” said Posy suddenly, putting her hand up to her neck,—“my pretty amber necklace that Uncle Tom gave me?”
“You must have dropped it in the barn while we were playing,” said Nancy; “I’ll run back and look.”
After a few minutes Nancy came back, walking slowly and with a disappointed expression on her face. “I’ve looked everywhere,” she said, “but I can’t find it.”
“I didn’t suppose you would find it,” said Hannah dryly. “I guess you’ve seen the last of your necklace, Posy; it’s gone to find the cat’s collar, I guess. Come,” she continued, turning to Nancy, “you just understand that this won’t do here.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” stammered poor Nancy, looking pale and frightened.
“Yes, you do understand well enough,” said Hannah. “You just hand over that necklace and that cat’s collar, or there’ll be trouble, I can tell you.”
“I don’t know where they are,” said Nancy, trembling. “I haven’t touched them. The necklace was on Posy’s neck when we were playing in the barn.”
“Yes, I know that,” answered Hannah; “and you may as well own up first as last. Come, hand it over;” and she laid her hand on Nancy’s shoulder and gave her a shake.
“Indeed I don’t know where it is,” cried Nancy, bursting into tears; “do believe me!”
“She didn’t steal it,” said Tom stoutly; “I know she didn’t! Here, you just let her alone, old Hannah!”
“Hannah,” said Posy, stamping her little foot, “you’re a bad, bad girl, and I don’t love you one bit!” and Posy too burst into tears of excitement.
“We’ll see who is the bad one before long,” said Hannah calmly.
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” said Tom fiercely, and almost ready to cry with Nancy and Posy.
“Why, what’s all this?” said Mamma, coming into the kitchen. “What has happened?” and she looked in surprise from one to the other of the excited group.
“Posy’s necklace has disappeared, and I said I thought Nancy took it, and I say so now,” said Hannah decidedly.