“One kitten will have to go without,” said Dot, the literal, as she and Tess joined the party on the porch.
“Come on, now! You gotter let ’em out. I gotter have the trap,” was Sammy’s gruff statement. He saw that his present was not entirely appreciated by the human members of the Corner House family, whether the feline members approved or not.
“Oh, I’ll call the family!” cried Dot, and raised her voice in a shrill cry for “Spotty, Almira, Popocatepetl, Bungle, Starboard, Port, Hard-a-Lee and Mainsheet!” She was breathless when she had finished.
Cats came from all directions. Indeed, they seemed to appear most mysteriously from the ground. Big cats and little cats, black cats and gray cats, striped cats and spotted cats.
“If there were any more of them they’d eat us out of house and home,” declared Mrs. MacCall.
“But Almira isn’t here!” wailed Dot. “Oh, Ruthie! don’t let him open the cage till Almira comes. She wants a chance to catch a mouse.”
“I believe you children are little cannibals!” exclaimed the housekeeper. “How can you? Wanting those cats to catch the poor little mice!”
“D’you want ’em for pets?” demanded Sammy, grinning at the housekeeper.
“Ugh! I hate the pests!” cried Mrs. MacCall.
“Do find Almira, Ruthie,” begged Dot.