'A TRAVELLER'S TALES' 



191 



" Drat those rats ! Can't think what Providence 

 was doing to create them !" 



* That's about the tune of it, my old hmdlubber, 

 isn't it ? Shiver my timbers ! but I would dearly 

 like to have you on board ship for a day or two, 

 just to see you turn green in the face, because you 

 wanted to be sick and couldn't. But avast hauling ! 

 Belay ! Down with your helm and snatch her round, 

 or we shall lose our bearings ! I did not open my 

 jaws to preach to you, but to tell you of my doings. 



' My next voyage took me to America, but I can 

 tell you at once that I did not enjoy it any. My 

 tastes are all towards short cruises, and a merry 

 two days in port at the end of them. Those liners 

 are a bit too almighty spick and span for an ordi- 

 nary rat, a state-room is rather beyond my figure, 

 and I feel somewhat out of place in a floating 

 drawing-room. Give me a rough tub of a ship and 

 the manners of the kitchen for real enjoyment. I 

 hardly stayed ashore for a single day, and that was 

 one day too many. America has moved on a trifle 

 too fast for me ; her buildings were not designed 

 to accommodate rats : we do not care to go up in 

 an elevator. What we much prefer is plenty of 

 room, plenty of rubbish, and plenty of dark corners, 

 and America has banished all these into the limbo 



