Chapter I: Front Matter

PUSSY BLACK-FACE
or: the Story of a Kitten and Her Friends

_A Book for Boys and Girls_

By Marshall Saunders

Author of “Beautiful Joe,” “Beautiful Joe's Paradise,” “'Tilda Jane,”
etc.

_Illustrated by_
DIANTHA HORNE MARLOWE

“When I play with my cat, who knows whether I do not make her more sport
than she makes me?”

MONTAIGNE.

Boston ❧ L. C. Page &
Company ❧ Mdccccxiii

_Copyright_, 1913, _by_
L. C. PAGE & COMPANY
(INCORPORATED)

Entered at Stationers' Hall, London

_All rights reserved_

First Impression, May, 1913
Second Impression, June, 1913

THE COLONIAL PRESS
C. H. SIMONDS & CO., BOSTON, U. S. A.

I DEDICATE THIS STORY OF A LITTLE CAT TO THAT WHOLEHEARTED
FRIEND OF ANIMALS—MRS. HUNTINGTON-SMITH
Of THE ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE,
51 CARVER STREET, BOSTON

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. BY THE FIRE 1

II. A CAT'S REFUGE 7

III. A SURPRISING CHANGE 22

IV. I VISIT MY FAMILY 36

V. THE CAT ON THE COMMON 53

VI. MY FIRST FIGHT 75

VII. A NEW SENSATION 101

VIII. SERENA ASTONISHES US 124

IX. ON THE TRAIN 139

X. WE REACH THE COUNTRY 162

XI. MAINE, LOVELY MAINE 176

XII. MY HEADSTRONG SISTER 196

XIII. PIGS, COWS AND CHICKENS 209

XIV. MY SISTER GIVES A LECTURE 228

XV. THE MOLE-HUNT 248

XVI. THE RETURN OF THE CHILDREN 263

XVII. THE MISCHIEVOUS GUINEA-HEN 273

XVIII. THE OWL AND THE CHICKENS 287

XIX. THE CLOSE OF THE SUMMER 295

XX. IN THE CITY AGAIN 307

LIST ^{of} ILLUSTRATIONS

PUSSY BLACK-FACE _Frontispiece_

“MY MOTHER BEGAN TO POLISH OFF MY HEAD” 39

“SHE PUT HER HEAD FIRST ON ONE SIDE THEN ON THE OTHER, 50
TILL SHE CRACKED IT ALL TO PIECES”

“'MONA,' I SAID CONFIDENTIALLY, 'I AM HAVING A DREADFUL 80
TIME'”

“SHE SLIPPED BETWEEN THE BIG DOG'S FRONT PAWS, AND SAT 150
THERE COWERING AND TREMBLING”

“OUT ON THE PLOUGHED LAND UNDER THE APPLE TREES, A FURRY 188
BALL WAS ROLLING OVER AND OVER”

“'MY FRIENDS, ... I STAND BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING QUITE 244
UNPREPARED'”

“THE ROOSTER KEPT SO FAR AHEAD THAT NO ONE BUT OURSELVES 281
SUSPECTED THE MISCHIEF SHE WAS DOING”

Pussy Black-Face