ails and the fence.

LIFE III

IX

Cats can go very fast up a tree or over a wall, but when it comes to
the long steady trot that reels off mile after mile, hour after hour,
it is not the cat-hop, but the dog-trot, that counts. Although the
travelling was good and the path direct, an hour had gone before two
more miles were put between her and the Hades of roses. She was tired
and a little foot-sore. She was thinking of rest when a Dog came
running to the fence near by, and broke out into such a horrible
barking close to her ear that Pussy leaped in terror. She ran as hard
as she could down the path, at the same time watching to see if the Dog
should succeed in passing the fence. No, not yet! but he ran close by
it, growling horribly, while Pussy skipped along on the safe side. The
barking of the Dog grew into a low rumble--a louder rumble and
roaring--a terrifying thunder. A light shone. Kitty glanced back to
see, not the Dog, but a huge Black Thing with a blazing red eye coming
on, yowling and spitting like a yard full of Cats. She put forth all
her powers to run, made such time as she had never made before, but
dared not leap the fence. She was running like a Dog, was flying, but
all in vain; the monstrous pursuer overtook her, but missed her in the
darkness, and hurried past to be lost in the night, while Kitty
crouched gasping for breath, half a mile nearer home since that Dog
began to bark.

This was her first encounter with the strange monster, strange to her
eyes only; her nose seemed to know him and told her this was another
landmark on the home trail. But Pussy lost much of her fear of his
kind. She learned that they were very stupid and could not find her if
she slipped quietly under a fence and lay still. Before morning she had
encountered several of them, but escaped unharmed from all.

About sunrise she reached a nice little slum on her home trail, and was
lucky enough to find several unsterilized eatables in an ash-heap. She
spent the day around a stable where were two Dogs and a number of small
boys, that between them came near ending her career. It was so very
like home; but she had no idea of staying there. She was driven by the
old craving, and next evening set out as before. She had seen the
one-eyed Thunder-rollers all day going by, and was getting used to
them, so travelled steadily all that night. The next day was spent in a
barn where she caught a Mouse, and the next night was like th