At last, one day, Potts made a critical examination of the premises, and, guided by the noise, he finally located the cat in the tin waterspout which descends the north wall of the house.

He thinks the cat must have been skylarking on the roof some dark night and accidentally tumbled into the spout.
Potts tried to shake her down by hammering on the spout with a stick; but the more he pounded, the louder she yelled, and the two noises roused the entire neighborhood and attracted the attention of the police.

Then he procured a clothes-prop; and ascending to the roof, he endeavored to push the animal out.

But the stick was not long enough to reach her.

All it was good for was to make her howl more loudly; and it did that.