541 INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A RAT. 



to rights again. In this way for some time I lived, until at last I be- 

 came weary of the place, and of the vapid conversation of the generality 

 of its visitors, and determined to accompany a scrofulous old brown rat 

 who was going to Ilkley, for the benefit of the bathing, on the first op- 

 portunity. An opportunity was not long wanting ; a party being made 

 to go and see its beauties, and in the boot under the seat of a donkey 

 carriage we jolted away. The party, which consisted of a young man, 

 his mother, and his maiden aunt, had not been unmindful of " creature 

 comforts," and had placed in the boot a large basket amply provisioned 

 for the day, consisting of a large pie and various other condiments, not 

 forgetting a bottle of sherry, which by a clever manoeuvre my companion 

 and I contrived to break : we there enjoyed ourselves amazingly, and 

 did not scruple to make free with the bounties placed before us. My 

 friend got so elevated with taking too much of the sherry, that on our 

 arrival, he flew right into the face of John the hostler, for presuming, as 

 he said, to disturb him at meals by taking his dinner from him. I am 

 afraid, however, he paid dearly for his freak, for a sharp little terrier 

 seeing him, gave chase, and how he came off I was never able to learn ; 

 I, acting more prudently, crept into one of the lady's bags, not liking to 

 trust myself even to the " tender mercies" of the terrier I had just 

 seen. I was then taken into the house, and heard orders given for don- 

 keys to ride up to the well ; so, thinking I was likely to get to the far- 

 famed well by remaining where I was, I composed myself very comfort- 

 ably, and soon after was swung on the arm of the maiden aunt, and together 

 with the remainder of the party, having mounted our donkeys, off we 

 set, to climb the hill with the " beasts." On our journey up I was highly 

 amused with the timid fears of Aunty about the safety of what the 

 Scotch call a beast, the ass she rode. It has often struck me as a sin- 

 gular fact, that they on whose lives the least depends, and who are com- 

 paratively worthless in creation, are often ten times the most timorous 

 lest anything should happen to them. I have no doubt, though, if Aunty 

 had known of the gallant gentleman she had swung on her arm, who in 

 case of emergency might act as protector, she would not have been so 

 fearful. After much toiling of the animals which the Scotch call beasts, 

 we at length attained the summit ; on entering the building where the 

 well is, I ventured to take a peep and look around me, and, growing tired 

 of my confined situation, jumped out, when Aunty, catching a glimpse 

 of me, uttered a most unlady-like shriek, and sans ceremonie fainted 

 away. A little application of the icy cold stream to her temples soon, 

 however, brought her round, and, in the confusion, I easily contrived to 

 find a place for myself, where I could be the unobserved " observer of 

 all observers ;" seeing, however, nothing here to admire but the beauti- 

 ful clearness of the water, I watched my opportunity, and bolted out of 

 the door. Here again my powers of description fail me to depict the 

 splendid landscape which lay before me. I found myself midway up a 

 considerable hill, with Ilkley at my feet ; at a little distance to the right 

 stood the town of Otley ; immediately before me lay the most beautiful 

 landscape which Wharfdale boasts ;the Wharf meandering through 

 the valley the various seats of the gentry in their solitary beauty, sur- 

 rounded by all the comforts which bounteous Providence gives with un- 

 sparing hand to ungrateful and thankless man. 



