Then she lay down again.

She was trying very hard not to creep on them.

Presently a neighbor's cat came stealing along the fence, keeping one eye on Malta and the other on the sparrows.
Malta was so angry! She sprang up and chased her away, and then came back to the platform, where she lay down again and waited for the sparrows to come back.

For a long time she stayed there, and never once tried to catch them.
Miss Laura was so pleased.

She went to the door, and said, softly, "Come here, Malta." The cat put up her tail, and, meowing gently, came into the house.