necessary preliminary to dinner— their right- 

 eousness, the little Pharisees ! Judging from 

 the washing disease which ailed two tame musk- 

 rats that I knew, it is perfectly safe to say that 

 had these found clean bread and butter upon 

 the plank, instead of muddy calamus, they 

 would have scoured it just the same. 



Before the two on the plank had finished 

 their meal, the third muskrat returned, drag- 

 ging his load of mud and roots to the scrubbing. 

 He was just dipping into the water when there 

 was a terrific explosion in my ears, a roar that 

 echoed round and round the pond. As the 

 smoke lifted, there were no washers upon the 

 plank ; but over in the quiet water floated 

 three long, slender tails. 



"No man gwine stan' dat shot, boy, jis t' see 

 a mus'rat wash hi' supper " ; and Uncle Jethro 

 limbered his stiffened knees and went chuckling 

 down the bank. 



[183] 



