Page 70 - Among the camps, or, Young people's stories of the war

Thfe men, too, were an.sious to prevent that, They called

to her, held out their hands, and coaxed her in every tone by
Which a kitten i$ supposed to be influenced. But it was all
in vain. No cajoleries, no promises, no threats, were of the
least avail. Kitty kin was there safe, out of their reach, and
there she would remain, sixty feet above the ground. Sud­
denly she saw that something was occurring below. She saw

the men all gather around her little mistress, and could hear
her at first refuse to let something be done, and then consent.
She could not make out what it was, though she strained her
ears. She remembered to have heard mammy tell her little

mistress once th a t,f curiosity had killed a cat," and she was
afraid to think loo much about it so high up in the tree. Still
when she heard an order given* " Go back and get your blank­
ets," and saw a whole lot of the men go running ofif into the
held on either side, and presently comc back with their arms

full of blankets, she could not help wondering what they were
going to do. T h ey at once began to unroll the blankets and
hold them open all around the tree, until a large circle of the.
ground was quite hidden.
“ Ah 1” said Kittykin, “ it’s a wicked trap \ ” and she dug

her little claws deep into the barkf and made up her mind
that nothing should induce her to jump. Presently she heard
the soldiers in the tree under her call to those on the
ground :
“ Are you ready ? ”

And they said, " All right ! h>