“To tell the truth I’ve about made up my mind to coming back, too,” said Ban-Ban. “But the only thing to do now is to hurry to Purrington. If only we can make these blessed children follow us! You see it will be safe enough going back by daylight if they are with us.”
“Now do hear them mew!” cried Lois, in a worried tone. “Kiku, darling, what do you want?”
“Go on, Ban-Ban; I’ll come,” said Rob at a venture. “Mamma knows I’m going out, and she’ll tell your mother, Lois.” You see he little thought what was to be the end of this walk.
He went to the outside door and set it open. Instantly Ban-Ban darted out, followed more slowly by Kiku-san, and the children went out on the steps and watched them. Both cats came back, rubbed their heads against Lois’s skirt and Rob’s knickerbockers; mewed a little; ran ahead, came back, and did everything that they could think of to coax their boy and girl to come after them.
Rob took Lois’s hand. “They want us,” he said. “It’s queer, but we must go.”
Ban-Ban immediately stood on his head, between his forepaws, in his most delighted fashion, and Kiku-san said: “M-m-m-m-mmmm!” as he always did when he was happy. And so the children knew that they were doing what their beloved cats wanted them to do, and followed steadily.
When they found that Rob and Lois fully understood what was wanted of them, Ban-Ban and Kiku-san stopped looking back at them, and swung into a steady, rapid trot.
“They know just what they want and where it is,” said Rob, wondering. Lois was too amazed to speak. Still more surprised the children grew as the cats took them briskly along the road, toward the outskirts of the city, and finally into the suburbs, and, still farther, along a country road.
“What can it mean?” said Lois, but Rob held her hand tight, so she was not much afraid, only for the cats when a dog came in sight. But there was no mishap, and little delay on the way. Toward the last of the journey, just as they had done in going back to their old home, Ban-Ban and Kiku-san broke into a run, and the two cats and two children came in sight of Purrington on the trot.
“Oh, look, Rob!” cried Lois, whose blue eyes were long of vision. “There is a city, a tiny city, with little, wee houses! What can it mean?”