I heard a cat crying pitifully in the garden, so I went out to see what was the matter.

When I got outside I saw Ezra Girdlestone leaning out of a window with a gun in his hands--one of those air-guns which don't make any noise when they go off.

And there, in the middle of the garden, was a poor cat that he had tied to a bush, and he had been practising at it for ever so long.
The poor creature was still alive, but oh! so dreadfully injured." "The brute! What did you do ?" "I untied it and brought it inside, but it died during the night." "And what did he say ?" "He put up his gun while I was untying it, as if he had half a mind to take a shot at me.

When I met him afterwards he said that he would teach me to mind my own business.

I didn't mind what he said though, as long as I had the cat." "Spoke like that, did he ?" said Tom savagely, flushing up to his eyes.
"I wish I saw him now.