Page:Sparrow, the tramp (IA sparrowtramp00wess).pdf/203

 understand what we said to them!" said Nancy. "I used to think that Billy understood what I told him, he always seemed so sorry when I told him how hungry and tired I was."

"Mamma says that animals know more than we think they do," said Tom.

It really did seem as if the tiger-kittens knew what was expected of them; for they stayed quite still in the cave, crouching down in the dark, and the little house-kittens sat down and looked up at Tom while he explained the game, just as if they understood every word he said.

"Now," said Tom, "we'll be the hunters and we'll go out hunting for tigers, and the dogs will run about searching for game, and then we'll discover the cave and send 'em in to drive the tigers out."

"I should think really and truly tigers would eat the dogs up," said Nancy, who had a very practical mind.