WILD DENTISTRY. 71 
The rat reared straight up, came down, 
crept round in a circle in a stricken, dazed sort 
of way, and before the farmer’s young son— 
who, hearing the hen’s protests, had crept up 
and fired at the intruder with his air-rifle— 
could get another shot, she scuttled away, the 
bullet having hit her smack in the middle of 
the two centre front-teeth of her lower jaw. 
The orchard lay very still under the moon- 
light, and very beautiful. It was just such 
another night as when, months before, the old 
doe-rat came and slew the chickens. But the 
scene had changed. There were deep shadows 
under the trees now, and many foamed to 
whiteness with blossom, or stood on a creamy 
carpet of flowers; the grass was longer; and 
instead of one chicken-coop, there were 
twenty-one. 
Then across the orchard came the hunched, 
cruel, gnome-like shape of the old rat. She 
reeled as she came. Something was wrong 
with her. 
Anon she stopped at a chicken-coop, and 
she squeezed her way in. There was a great 
cackling as before, and in due time the old 
rat came out again. 
The farmer’s son, hearing the commotion, 
was ready waiting this time. He raised his 
