A CAT STORY.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 1 May 1914, Page 8

A CAT STORY.

It was when I was statioued at ! Umtalla (India) a few years ago, that I witnessed the following amusing incident. We were under canvas, and I was sitting on an upturned bucket, inside, my tent, with a cat at my feet. There was a plate with some scrapsof meat on it inside the tent, and t picked up a small piece of n.eat md offered it to the cat. The cat slid not want it, so 1 threw it outside the tent where it was almost immediately seized by a kite hav/lr,, or scavenger bird, as the troops call them, and borne aloft. These hawks hover above the tents at meal times, and when pieces of meat are thrown out to thorn, they swoop down, grasp the meat in their claws (without alighting) and soar up in the air again, eating the meat. The cat had noted the disappearance of the meat, and evidently wanted to know more about it. it went to the plate, picked up a small piece of meat in its mouth, and then Placed it a couple of yards outside the entrance of the tent, running back again inside the tent. A swish, and the meat was gone. This seemed to satisfy the cat, for it picked up another piece of meat aid placed it y?tt c-rr>?--]u- „ f 0 ,,l inches ortsidp the tent, taking cover its»lf V'hind the flap, crouching and ready to spring. Suddenly the cat sprang, and I i watched it desperately trying to i hold a hawk, but after a short strug- , gle the biru ni;.u: a .i:ed to get away, ieaving the meat behind. The shadow of the hawk co'^ld be seen on ■ the ground just a moment before it !-, grasped the meat, and it was they \ ;hat the cat had spri;n^. \ The cat, however, whs not content | ; with its Orst failure for it pic:^! \ :he meat up and pl.'iced it as before. ' ] igain retiring behind the Hap. A. r : ew seconds elapsed, and then there : j tfas a sudden spring, a jrroa!, Happing )f wings, and the cr-t wri- stnu^lin'--n the attempt to hold n la.---c hawk,' \ ;he bird desperately tryinsr to s«t a- ' ( vay. For nearly a minute tbe ■.. struggle continued, but tbe bird S'rntunlly won and flew off. ' j This seemed to dissn-'-t the cat, fo" ' s t came back to th'1 plate. ivic'-.-Ml iv> > ;he largest piece of m^at, fan with ' t several yards outside ?■'■"■> -i-ent. and ' hen, leaving the moat tlv-re it re- i N .urned inherent as •to ?hat took the meat. i I

What made the Poor rate ? I t