Chapter 7

The cat stood slowly, gently taking hold of the jacket’s other sleeve with his teeth and tugging.

For a moment Ralphie resisted, pulling back fearfully. The cat mewed softly again and the boy stood. “Can you…? I want to go home.”

Still holding the boy’s sleeve, the cat began to walk at a snail’s pace out of the clearing into the trees and the boy followed without resistance. Soon the cat released the sleeve, sensing Ralphie would come with him on his own. The boy hesitated again when they came to the stream, but when the cat took hold of his sleeve again, Ralphie carefully walked across it with him.

Finally they were close to Ralphie’s home. The cat and the boy heard the searchers as they called Ralphie’s name. The boy hesitated then wrapped his arms around the cat’s thick neck, hugging tightly as he whispered “Thank you.” Seconds later he was racing through the trees to the nearest voice, shouting “Here I am.”