o that
the down would not be scattered. Mrs. MacCall was old-fashioned enough
to save all duck and geese down for pillows.

When the oldest and the two youngest Kenway girls trooped into the
kitchen, Popocatepetl was chasing a stray feather about the floor and in
diving behind the big range for it, she knocked down the shovel, tongs
and poker, which were standing against the bricked-up fireplace.

The clatter scared Petal immensely, and with tail as big as three
ordinary tails and fur standing erect upon her back, she shot across the
kitchen and into the big pantry.

Uncle Rufus had just taken the box of feathers into this room and set it
down on the floor, supposedly out of the way. Mrs. MacCall was measuring
molasses at the table, for a hot gingerbread-cake was going to grace the
supper-table.

"Scat, you cat, you!" exclaimed Uncle Rufus. "Dar's too many of you cats
erbout disher house, an' dat's a fac'. Dar's more cats dan dar is mices
to ketch--ya-as'm!"

"Oh, Uncle Rufus! you don't mean that, do you?" asked Tess, the literal.
"Aren't there as many as five mice left? You know you said yourself
there were hundreds before Sandyface and her children came."

"Glo-_ree_! I done s'peck dey got down to purty few numbers," agreed
Uncle Rufus. "Hi! wot dat cat do now?"

"Scat!" cried Mrs. MacCall. She had left the table for a moment, and
Popocatepetl was upon it.

"Petal!" shrieked Ruth, and darted for the pantry to seize her pet.

All three scolding her, and making for her, made Popocatepetl quite
hysterical. She arched her back, spit angrily, and then dove from the
table. In her flight she overturned the china cup of molasses which fell
to the floor and broke. The sticky liquid was scattered far and wide.

"That kitten!" Mrs. MacCall shrieked.

"Wait! wait!" begged Ruth, trying to grab up Petal.

But the cat dodged her and went right through the molasses on the floor.
All her four paws were covered. Wherever she stepped she left an
imprint. And when the excited Ruth grabbed for her again, she capped her
ridiculous performance by leaping right into the box of feathers!

Finding herself hopelessly "stuck-up" now, Popocatepetl went completely
crazy!

She leaped from the box, scattering a trail of sticky feathers behind
her. She made a single lap around the kitchen trying for an outlet,
faster than any kitten had ever traveled before in that room.

"Stop her!" shrieked Ruth.

"My clean kitchen!" wailed Mrs.