234 THE GIANT RAT 



I have just stated that giant rats frequent 

 swampy, low-lying ground, and low elevations 

 generally, but apparently that is not always the 

 case. Several years ago, I was bidden one night 

 to dine with three friends at that most admirable 

 and comfortable house of entertainment, the 

 Savoy Hotel at Beira, and afterwards, at the in- 

 vitation of our host, we proceeded upstairs to the 

 top of the three-storied building to indulge in a 

 rubber of bridge. This over, we were sitting 

 chatting quietly, and enjoying the beauty of the 

 soft African night, when I suddenly saw my host's 

 usually jovial face stiffen and freeze into an 

 expression of unbounded horror. Following the 

 direction in which he gazed, I saw an immense 

 rat, such as I have described above, quite casually 

 and leisurely making its way along the top of the 

 outer veranda rail. I rushed to catch it by its 

 stiffly projecting tail in order to swing it round 

 and beat its brains out against the iron of the 

 railing, but the creature was a little too quick 

 for me, and in trying to run down the outer face 

 of the balustrade, it lost its footing, and fell into 

 the street below, a distance of some 45 feet. 

 At that moment several Portuguese soldiers and 

 police officials were passing the hotel. Exactly 

 what happened I shall never know, but, as we 

 gazed over into the darkness, first an exclamation 

 of surprise rose upon the quiet air, then a wild yell 

 of dismay, followed by the pattering of hastily 

 retreating feet. We hurried below, but by the 

 time we had reached the roadway all was quiet, 

 so that there was nothing for it but to separate, 



