CHAPTER XXV 



African Gnawers 



RATS become numerous in certain localities and give much trou- 

 ble. At times they become \ery bold and will invade the home 

 of man. The following is an experience of a lady in Africa 

 with the brown rat: "When living in Cape Coast Castle, I used to see 

 the rats come in troops past my door, walking over my black boys as 

 they lay there, and who only turned themselves over to present the other 

 sides of their faces and bodies w^ien the rats returned, and thought it a 

 good joke. The fiercest encounter which I ever had with them w^as dur- 

 ing one of those terrific storms which are more furious between the 

 tropics than elsewhere. I was then, however, under the Equator, in a 

 native hut. and heard an exceeding rustling and movement all around 

 me. To my horror I perceived that these proceeded from a number of 

 rats running up and down the sides of the room in which I was to pass 

 the night, and who shortly began to run over me, they being disturbed 

 by the torrents of rain which were then falling. The only w'eapon I 

 could find was a shoe, and curling myself into a large armchair taken 

 out of a French vessel, and covered with blue satin damask, I sat 

 prepared for my enemies, whom I dreaded nnich more than the light- 

 ning, which was flashing across the iron bars laid upon the floor. I 

 felt that the silk of my place of refuge was some sort of protection 

 against this ; but my own arm could alone save me from my four-footed 

 foes. Presently my husband came in. and saluted me with a shout of 

 laughter, which, however, abated when he saw my antagonists. The 

 storm lulled for a while, and the rats retreated. We then crept wathin 

 the curtains of bamboo cloth which encircled a rude imitation of a four- 

 post bedstead, but I kept possession of my shoe. Weary with watching, 

 I closed my eves, but was awakened by a tremendous flash of lightningj 

 immediately followed by awful thunder and a tumultuous rush of rats. 

 Some of them scrambled up the outside of the curtains; but, arms in 



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