She did not look at us or speak to us . She was reputed to be abnormally shy . She was very stout and wore a dress of bright red-and-white striped material . Her face was round and blank , but her reddish hair was abundant and beautiful . A huge , orange-coloured cat was at her heels ; as she passed us he bounded over to the arbour and sprang up on Abel 's knee . He was a gorgeous brute , with vivid green eyes , and immense white double paws . `` Captain Kidd , Mr. Woodley . '' He introduced us as seriously as if the cat had been a human being . Neither Captain Kidd nor I responded very enthusiastically . `` You do n't like cats , I reckon , master , '' said Abel , stroking the Captain 's velvet back . `` I do n't blame you . I was never fond of them myself until I found the Captain . I saved his life and when you 've saved a creature 's life you 're bound to love it . It 's next thing to giving it life . There are some terrible thoughtless people in the world , master . Some of those city folks who have summer homes down the harbour are so thoughtless that they 're cruel . It 's the worst kind of cruelty , I think -- the thoughtless kind . You ca n't cope with it . They keep cats there in the summer and feed them and pet them and doll them up with ribbons and collars ; and then in the fall they go off and leave them to starve or freeze . It makes my blood boil , master . ''
`` One day last winter I XXXXX a poor old mother cat dead on the shore , lying against the skin and bone bodies of her three little kittens .
blame bounded cope found giving go introduced like master said