A Short-tail Rat. 147 



that follow, the hits become more and more telling, 

 until the sound of the fiddle strings is almost 

 drowned by the laughter and applause. The whole 

 company join in the chorus. John Bachman's verse 

 describes a long, tedious, and remarkable ride taken 

 by young John on a hard-going horse. 



" Young Jof^tle^ he mount on " Mossa " big //oss, 

 And he look so fine, we took him for Boss, 

 But soon he began to ride more sideway than straddle, 

 And to beg for a sheep-skin to put on de saddle. 

 CAo/v^.s-— Clare de kitchen, ole folk, young folk. 

 Old Virginny, nebber tire." 



The closing verse was composed by young John 

 himself — it told of the Parson's search after the long 

 coveted ** Short-tail Rat" and his jo}^ over the dis- 

 covery of the same. At that moment the minstrel 

 pauses, and points with his violin-bow above the 

 door, and there, to the great surprise of all, hangs a 

 veritable rat, with the prescribed short-tail, quite 

 visible ; young John's clippers having secretly trans- 

 formed the tail of a common long-tailed rat into the 

 new species. 



The slumbers of all that night were deep and 

 sweet. On the morrow the friends take leave ; and 

 with light hearts our party beguile with merry chat 

 the homeward journey to Charleston. 



