90 Studies in Rat Catching. [ch. v. 



fairly grovelled. Wasp, Pepper, and the 

 long-tailed Tinker were nearly as bad, and it 

 was plain to see they were shy and bashful 

 in such a gorgeous room and surrounded by 

 such a galaxy of beauty. It was the soft- 

 hearted Grindum who saved us ; he blinked 

 much, but directly I said, "Hie round, dogs ! 

 Hunt him up 1 Search him out ! " he went 

 to work — up on the bed, round the room, 

 behind the furniture, and at last began 

 sniffing round the sofa. I got hot all over, 

 for I thought he was mistaking an aristo- 

 cratic lady and her hand-maid for rats ; but 

 no, at last he went under the sofa, and 

 turning over on his back began to scratch at 

 the underside of it up above him. Madam 

 and Mary Ann jumped off, and the latter felt 

 another " turn " ; then both took refuge on 

 chairs and again clasped their clothes tight 

 round them. I turned the sofa up on its 

 back, and there through the sacking near a 



