on the floor, trying not to stand on anything,
for foraging ants are not to be trifled with; and Chunga said,
solemnly--

"If missie kills any ants, they kill her."

So the fear of touching any of them had greatly impeded the lady's
movements; she had to step gently on the points of her toes whenever she
saw a clear space. She had to rescue her baby from the cradle, and her
other children from different parts of the house; and then each child,
as it was carried away, began to cry for some particular toy that had
been left behind, so that getting them safe and sound into the garden
was a work of time. However, at last they were all seated round their
mother, only dreadfully hungry, and longing for their breakfast, while
the house remained in undisturbed possession of the ants.

At last, even Chunga thought it wise to beat a retreat, so she came
gliding gently out, bringing the welcome news that she had seen several
ants carrying off an immense scorpion, which "must have been de one dat
stung massa, and made him so ill a few days before;" and that the ants
were now attacking the rats and mice.

"Rats and mice!" screamed all the children in delight. "Will they kill
the horrible things?"

[Illustration: "THE CAT ... STOOD WITH GLARING EYES."]

"The rats that fought poor Kitty," pursued George, for this had been a
sore trouble to the children. Mrs. Wolfe had brought a fine handsome
tortoise-shell cat from Ireland with her, thinking how delightful it
would be to have her house quite free from vermin, only, unfortunately,
they were so very numerous that poor "Lady Catherine," as the children
named their pussy, though she did her best at first, could not by any
possibility keep their numbers in check, and she now lived a miserable
life, being afraid of moving from her master's protection, and growing
daily thinner and weaker from the combined influences of fear, and being
unable to perform her usual duties; and as the children loved her
dearly, and treated her like one of themselves, they all set up a howl
of dismay when their darling's name was mentioned to them.

It was answered by a fearful burst of caterwauling from the interior of
the house. The shrieks and yells were really terrific, and the whole
party, regardless of their enemies inside, rushed back again to the
door, and peeping in, beheld a sight which was almost ludicrous.

There was a shelf near one of the children's beds at a great height from
the floor, a