He gave a heavy jump toward Jazbury, and his sharp teeth showed in a wicked grin.
"Momma! Momma! Aunt Tabby! Come quick," mewed Jazbury shrilly.
Suddenly the rat started. His eyes glared past Jazbury toward the kitchen door. A look of terror came over his face. He wheeled about and scuttled back toward his hole.
At the same moment there was an angry growl, and a grey shape shot past Jazbury. It was Aunt Tabby. She had heard Jazbury's cry of distress and had flown to help him. She rushed at the rat and made a wild grab at him. But he was too quick for her. Already he was disappearing in his hole. She did catch his tail, but it slipped away from her and the next moment the rat was gone.
Jazbury began to mew pitifully.
"Why, Jazbury, what are you crying about now? You're all safe," said his aunt.
"Mew! mew! mew! Oh, he frightened me so! I never knew there were mouses like that!"
"Mouse! That wasn't a mouse, kitten! That was a rat, and a very big and savage rat, too. No wonder you were frightened. You'll have to be a bigger kitten before you can grapple with a rat. I've been trying to have a chance at him myself, but I've never even seen him till today. He always stays hidden when I'm around."
Aunt Tabby talked on, comforting the kitten until at last he stopped trembling and his hairs smoothed themselves down into the usual smoothness.
"Now, Jazbury, perhaps you'll watch one of my mouse-holes," she ended. "I promise you nothing but mice ever come out of it."