b.u.t.tons stopped in midstride as she rose. Sally was rising also, and b.u.mped into her friend. "Heh, what gives?"

b.u.t.tons dropped her head in shame as she recalled the appearance of garden earlier in the spring. She turned and looked at Sally. "What a ninny I've been. I dug a good-sized hole in the side of that bank and then promptly forgot it. It's covered by the ivy hanging down the fence. What a ninny I've been."

Sally just grinned, making b.u.t.tons even more frustrated.

With the cat's disappearance, b.u.t.tons burst from the bush, rushing toward the spot just vacated by the cat. It took only moments for the keen noses of Sally and b.u.t.tons to locate the entrance to the cat's den. It was carefully hidden by the ivy, as the two antic.i.p.ated, and lay at the foot of the old post. A partially rotten slat covered the top.

b.u.t.tons nosed about for a moment, a questioning look coming into her face. Then, she turned to the task at hand, forgetting the disquieting thought that had crossed her mind. She went fiercely to work, her broad forepaws gouging the soft dirt up and flinging it between her legs causing Iggy, who had arrived even as the two dogs raced across the yard, and Sally to move to the side to avoid being hit by the flying dirt and twigs. b.u.t.tons worked with the furious single-mindedness of her breed, never stopping for a moment before she had enlarged the opening sufficiently to allow her entrance to the pocket that lay beneath the fence.

Gra.s.s, twigs, and bits of ivy covered the floor of the makeshift den. Overhead, it was protected by an old slab of concrete that had, at one time, been meant to support the fence post. Now, only roots of bushes gave the wall some strength. It was well-situated to protect the occupants from the infrequent, but heavy, rains that came at that time of the year. Both Iggy and Sally pushed into the den, and as had b.u.t.tons, stopped in amazement. Their voices were hushed as they looked at one another.

"Wow, we sure did it this time," muttered Iggy.

"Yeh," agreed Sally. "But, how are we going to set this mess right?"

b.u.t.tons retreated and sat in front of the enlarged den's opening. Her nose was caked with dirt and bits of gra.s.s and dirt clung to her bushy eyebrows. She slumped to the ground as she listened to her two friends' wondering voices.

"Hey," said Iggy, "they're kind of cute. Look, Sally, their eyes are just beginning to open. How many do you count?"

Sally was in fact busy sorting out the litter of kittens, for that was what they had uncovered. Four small bundles of fur huddled together in one corner. To the far left, the shriveled bodies of two more were moldering, death having taken them several days before. One of the kittens tried to gain its feet, but could not, and the four just lay there looking with fear and wonder at the creatures which occupied the entrance to their safe home. Safe, until now.

Sally chuckled and moved toward the small kittens to examine them closer when she was suddenly thrust aside. The cat had returned unexpectedly, and now leaned backwards on her haunches in a defensive posture, a round ball of angry, erect hair. She was furious and small hissing spats were emitted regularly as she faced the beagle and squirrel before her. Neither of them moved, instinctively knowing the cat would fight to the death for her offspring, even if no harm was intended. Which it wasn't. But neither Sally nor Iggy had the slightest idea of how to break the impa.s.se. Frankly, they were afraid to move backwards for that might precipitate the attack as quickly as a movement forward. They would not fight the cat under these circ.u.mstances, but could not run.

A m.u.f.fled voice came from behind them, "Please, let me in. It's all my fault. Let me in. Please." b.u.t.tons's pleading voice finally broke the frozen figures of the creatures facing one another in the den.

Sally looked at the cat who did not move. Sally and Iggy then slowly dipped their heads, and even more slowly edged backwards. To their relief, the feline maintained her defensive stand and watched them go. b.u.t.tons replaced them and lay down, resting her nose on the ground just in front of the cat. Neither said anything for several moments.

In the most contrite voice she could manage, b.u.t.tons addressed the cat, "Please, ma'am, it's all my fault. I did it. I didn't know you had babies in here."

The small feline female relaxed ever so slightly. Her glittering eyes bespoke her anger and concern. Fear lay there also for the many possibilities this intrusion could mean had already crossed her mind. Clearly, some of them were beginning to dawn on the small Scottish Terrier before her. She turned and gazed with longing at the two still figures in the corner.

Turning to b.u.t.tons, she hissed, "If you hadn't prevented my hunting they might still be here. But, I can't get enough food. I've known of your watching and seeking. And, now, you see what you have done."

She curled herself around the four squirming figures of the newborn kittens and began to lick each of them in turn. "They're all I have now." Her accusing gaze never left the eyes of b.u.t.tons. "What am I to do now? I can't defend that huge opening you've just made and find food so that I can nurse them."

b.u.t.tons started to apologize, but the cat furiously hissed, "No, it's too late. You've done too much harm. This is not the first litter I've lost."

Mommy Kitty coughed, a retching, hacking cough that came from deep in her chest. "It's too late. Don't you understand?"

Her eyes glittered with suppressed grief and anger. "This will be the last. No more."

She coughed once again, sinking down to nose each of the four remaining. Only the largest stood a chance of survival. The bright light brought no relief, only more grief. Her strength had been sapped by b.u.t.tons's unrelenting hara.s.sment. But clearly, the three young creatures before her could not know. Only in time. Maybe not then.

Iggy and Sally pushed in beside b.u.t.tons, who lay quietly contemplating the scene before here. Iggy was as precocious as usual and just as unconcerned about the effect of his words as usual.

"Heck, Sally and b.u.t.tons can protect them, and I'll watch from the tree overhead. You needn't worry."

Both dogs woofed in surprise, totally caught off-balance by the full meaning and content of Iggy's words.

"Well," said Sally.

"Gee," responded b.u.t.tons.

"You'll what?" glared the cat.

"Well, why not," said Sally. "We got you into this mess. We can help to get you out of it."

"No," said b.u.t.tons. She began to back out, and looking at the cat who had partially risen, her back beginning to arch, said, "We'll be right back. I've a better solution." b.u.t.tons giggled, "You'll see."

The three sat outside for several minutes. The words of their discussion came m.u.f.fled to the cat, who lay unmoving as her kittens nursed. The content of the discussion could not be made out, but their voices rose on occasion and then would sink. The cat began to worry that the dogs-in particular, the small black one-meant more mischief towards her and her litter. But then, Sally's nose appeared, with Iggy's right beside her.

"b.u.t.tons has gone to check, but we think we can solve everything," Sally quickly said as she saw the concern on the cat's face.

"Ya," said Iggy, "don't worry. b.u.t.tons can fix anything when she sets her mind to it."

The feline was too kind to reply. Actually, she was too preoccupied with one of the kittens who had just decided he would examine the two new creatures before him, and was stumbling and lurching across the floor of the den towards them. Sally leaned forward and licked the small creatures' face, and Iggy could only coo as they watched the odd progress of the kitten.

The small kitten was just beginning to climb Iggy's leg when b.u.t.tons reappeared, pleasure clearly written on her features.

"Come on," she said, "I know where to put them where they're safe, and you..." She turned to the mother cat and said, "I don't know your name."

The cat looked enquiring, and answered with hesitancy, "All creatures hereabout simply call me Mommy Kitty."

Iggy broke in with "Mommy Kitty. I like that. Well, Mommy Kitty, what shall we do?"

Iggy looked at b.u.t.tons and then back to Mommy Kitty, whose mind was whirling with all of the action going on about her. She was young for all the pregnancies she had experienced. She was not accustomed to three such creatures as these facing her. As her strength failed slowly, she would let matters take their course. These three would know in time.

She started to say, "Well, I don't..." when b.u.t.tons reached for the kitten at Iggy's leg. She opened her mouth and was about to try and pick the kitten up when she was stopped short by the hissing spit of Mommy Kitty whose back was arched as she sidled toward the black dog.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Her claws were fully displayed as she approached Iggy and b.u.t.tons.

b.u.t.tons heaved a sigh. Females could be such a problem, she thought. She hurried to answer before Mommy Kitty decided to take matters into her own hands, well, claws, that is.

"Look, I've got just the place for you. It's right next door. The older couple." She looked to Sally and Iggy for support.

Sally caught on quickly as usual, and Iggy sat to scratch his head in perplexity. Then, he, too smiled, and jumped up, upsetting the kitten, whose mewing became urgent as it flopped on its back. Mommy Kitty moved swiftly to pick up the kitten deftly in her mouth and carefully deposit it with the other three. Then, she turned back to the two dogs and the squirrel, all of whom appeared to be smiling.

"OK," she said, "just what do you have in mind?"

Sally answered for all of them. "It's the old couple next door. They have a box on their back porch, under cover, and it's always fixed up, just like when before their cat died. Right?"

She turned to b.u.t.tons for agreement, and it was Iggy who answered. "Yeah, boy, did they ever spoil that cat. Too fat to even chase me."

b.u.t.tons looked directly at Mommy Kitty. "Look," she said, "it's just perfect for you. Put your kittens there and they'll always be taken care of. Just you wait and see."

Mommy Kitty was not about to take such a drastic move, without due consideration, but the three were persuasive, and she was hungry. Without food, she could not continue to nurse the four who were always whimpering in their sleep for more, or nudging her for more milk when she didn't have any. She really had no choice, and finally went along with them.

It was some move. Each insisted on carrying one of the kittens. Iggy could pick one up in his arms because of his clever paws shaped like hands as they were, but then he didn't know what to do after that, sort of sitting there with a dumb look of pleasure on his face. Sally had a soft mouth and gently picked one up behind the ears just as she was supposed to. She disappeared, making Mommy Kitty very uncomfortable. As she watched b.u.t.tons's attempt, she almost had to laugh because the Scottie would open her mouth as far as she could to pick up one of the kittens, but her long fangs prevented her from gripping the kitten carefully. In the end, it was Sally and Mommy Kitty who accomplished the move with the moral support of the other two.

Iggy, Sally, and b.u.t.tons carefully watched from cover as Mommy Kitty and her kittens were discovered by the old inhabitants of the house. The reception was as warm as the three could have hoped for, and Iggy and Sally were congratulating one another when they noticed that b.u.t.tons was absent. Sally looked at Iggy, shook her head in a worried fashion, and then left, tracking her friend quite easily, although she had an idea where to look.

As she had antic.i.p.ated, Sally found b.u.t.tons digging away at Mommy Kitty's old den. With a m.u.f.fled woof, b.u.t.tons backed out as the hole collapsed. Sally watched her friend sit in front of the old den for a second, her only comment being "Buried your guilt, eh?"

b.u.t.tons walked past her best friend, her voice m.u.f.fled as she moved away.

"I don't know. Something was wrong back there. I don't like it."

b.u.t.tons visibly shuddered as the three moved into the Great Field. Sally dropped her head but said nothing. Iggy bounced on ahead, totally oblivious to the two dogs' actions. He would simply await as events occurred, doing his best to help, but he was usually in the way.

As the days, pa.s.sed Mommy Kitty was to be seen once again in the field. On such occasions, there would be no male accompanying her. She moved slowly, her normal lithe actions gone. With her head down, she seldom paid much attention to the other creatures. Even the small ones paid no attention to her actions. She no longer posed a threat to them.

Then she was no longer to be seen at all.

b.u.t.tons was sunning herself, squirming slowly in the dust of the afternoon. The sun would be down before long, and then the nice heat of the ground would rapidly dissipate. She looked up as Sally slowly approached. Iggy followed behind, his eyes large and questioning.

b.u.t.tons rapidly rose and shook the dust off. Something was wrong, very wrong. Saying nothing, she simply waited for Sally to speak.

Sally took a deep breath, her eyes sad. She sighed once again, glancing once in the direction of Iggy who could only droop.

"She wants you. Now. You better hurry."

"Wa... wa... Who wants me?" b.u.t.tons was increasingly confused by the brief words and the behavior of her best friend.

"Mommy Kitty, of course. She's at her old den. Better hurry. Iggy and I'll stay here."

b.u.t.tons gulped and would have asked for more information, but Sally only shook her head and pointed to the fence.

It was but a few seconds for b.u.t.tons to scramble under the fence and make her way to the old fence which leaned to one side. Mommy Kitty was there, holding herself upright by leaning in turn against the post.

The cat was gaunt, her muzzle now grey, patches of hair missing. Her eyes were large in her narrow features, but they missed nothing as b.u.t.tons slowly approached.

b.u.t.tons gulped once again, her throat tight. Her words sounded small and distant in the depths of the garden. "What is it, Mommy Kitty? You sent for me?"

Mommy Kitty's gaze never left the eyes of b.u.t.tons as she replied softly. "Yes. I need you to do me a favor."

She coughed, a small dot of frothy fluid appearing at the corner of her mouth.

She nodded toward the embankment behind her. "I can't do it by myself."

Her voice dropped as she fought the cough trying to escape. She fought the constricting band around her chest, trying her best to catch enough air to speak once again. Her sides heaved several times before her gaze returned to b.u.t.tons, who was staring in wonder at the ground behind Mommy Kitty.

"You have to do it. You must. Dig."

Mommy Kitty slumped to the ground, all of her strength now needed to maintain her attention on the small black dog who had stepped back.

b.u.t.tons took a step backwards. "I can't," she said. "I can't."

"You must." Mommy Kitty spoke harshly though her voice was low. "Only you can do it."

b.u.t.tons would have turned and run, but she couldn't move. She couldn't evade the eyes of Mommy Kitty. She could not say no. She could only blink, remembering the day she first had dug in that embankment.

Then, taking a deep breath, she did what she had to do. Her sides ached. Her back hurt. She had a hard time even seeing the ground before her. But she dug. Dug as only she could.

Soon, a large hole in the side of the embankment loomed before the two. It was deep as it narrowed. When she was finished, she backed out and waited for Mommy Kitty to speak.

"You will return after dark. You know what to do. You've done it before."

A racking cough shook Mommy Kitty, and blood appeared in the spittle on her thin lips.

b.u.t.tons couldn't help it. Before she could stop herself, she spoke "But the kittens. What about them?"

Mommy Kitty's eyes glittered in the growing darkness as she gasped and then whispered, "Dead. I buried them in the field where you will never find them. Dead." She swallowed convulsively. "All dead."

She slowly moved toward the hole, and standing there, looked down on the small black dog. "You will go now. Return in one hour." With that, Mommy Kitty disappeared into the blackness of the hole. Mommy Kitty looked back briefly, only eyes visible, and then they, too, closed.

b.u.t.tons did as she was ordered by the cat, saying nothing, but looking back time after time. She hurt. Down deep. And, she knew the hurt would be there a very long time. There was no time for regrets. Being what she was, she accepted it. Never again would she be quite the same. b.u.t.tons was b.u.t.tons. She straightened her back and moved back to the field.

b.u.t.tons sat outside the fence. Iggy and Sally lay nearby, but neither approached her. b.u.t.tons finally stood and slowly approached the fence. She disappeared rapidly, moving toward the hole which was black against even the night.

She hesitated. How desperately she wanted to run. Run forever. Run and run and run. Run until she could remember nothing. But she couldn't. She wouldn't. Her head dipped once, but resolutely she moved to the side of the hole and quickly dug one more time.

There was no sound as the hole collapsed, the dirt silently sliding down toward the green of the garden's ivy. A few bits of dirt stopped rolling against b.u.t.tons's forepaws, but she didn't see them as she turned away.

Followed by Iggy, b.u.t.tons made her way into the field. There, she made her way to a small mound where she sat in silence for several seconds. Sally was nowhere to be seen as b.u.t.tons raised her nose to the darkening sky.

A Scottie dog's howl began low in their throat and emerged as a wavering low moan. It was not a loud sound, but carried well, the sadness and unhappiness tightly bound within it all too apparent.

b.u.t.tons's lament was broken as Sally joined her friend. Then, the two sang their sad song for several minutes, their voices rising and then finally sinking into silence.

b.u.t.tons took a deep sigh as Sally said, "I'm sorry." She was about to go on when the voice of Ssserek rose at their side, startling the two dogs who had been entirely unaware of his approach.

"Your comment was appropriate, as was your action." He addressed each in turn. "It is never easy to be the unwitting cause of grief or death, but it is part of our world. My kind has lived with it for what seems an eternity, and if my throat could manage such sounds, I, too, would sing as you do. And now that you have sung your grief, let it also be your farewell. Put it behind you." He swung his head at them, and if they had not moved quickly, they would have been sent tumbling in the dirt.

In a very soft voice, b.u.t.tons said, "Thank you, Great Ssserek. Thank you and..."

b.u.t.tons would have gone on, but Ssserek was looking intently at Sally, who squirmed beneath his unwinking gaze.

"Well, my little one?" He waited.

Sally would have squirmed even more but b.u.t.tons was gazing at her, then to Sssserek, and then she realized Iggy was not with them.

"What's going on? Out with it, Sally. What are you two up to? If you don't answer me, so help me, I'll..."

The small voice of Iggy came plaintively from the bottom of the hill. "Please, Great Ssserek, please."