Oxford Gray, Junior, fell asleep long before she did. She stayed awake a long time, trying to plan out some way of getting into some warm house where they could have a fire and some good food to eat. Her mother had told her of such a house where she had spent her early days before her owners moved away and left her behind, and her brave father had told her of three where he had been an honored guest. The rain kept on pattering on the boards overhead, and Sally grew more and more forlorn and thought of her brave father and her dear mother, and life seemed hard. She was provoked with her brother for taking things so calmly. What should she do without him, though? At last she went to sleep, repeating to herself her refrain, ‘If one has to be an orphan, it is better to be twins.’ [Illustration] CHAPTER III THE CAPTURE The next morning the sun shone brightly, and this in itself made the kittens feel in better spirits. Oxford Gray, Junior, who had had a fine night’s sleep, was positively gay, and Sally forbore to mention her brave father and her dear mother. Perhaps, after all, Oxford Gray, Junior, was right and something would turn up. And something did turn up. It was toward the end of the afternoon, and they were beginning to wonder where they were to get their next meal. Oxford Gray, Junior, had caught a fly or two and found some bugs, but he had not been able to get a mouse. He had felt it important to keep up his own strength, as he had to take care of Sally, and she ought to learn to brace up and look out for herself. She did get a couple of bugs, and they had had a little grass, but no plate of fish had been put out for them again, for no one had seen them. They were at play under the giant rhododendron bush that was on the south side of the pretty house that was not friendly to cats, when the exciting event happened. The front door opened, and out of it came a very pretty young lady. She had yellow hair and wore a pretty blue dress, and was exactly the sort of a lady that Sally would like to be herself, with a warm house to live in with plenty of food. ‘Goodness,’ said the pretty girl, ‘something must be done about you, poor little dears,’ and she looked from Sally to Oxford Gray, Junior. ‘If only my cook liked cats--as it is, I can’t keep you myself.’ She stooped and picked Sally up and started in the direction of the gray house on the hill. When Sally found that Oxford Gray, Junior, was left behind, she was very unhappy. She kept saying in her own language: ‘Please, I can’t be separated from my dear, brave brother. I have lost my grandmother, and my darling mother, so cozy and so kind, and my brave father, the mighty hunter, and my brother is all I have.’