194 



THE RAT 



next morning, on the principle of " never do any- 

 thing to-day when to-morrow will do as well." I 

 rather fancy that they must have left them about 

 on purpose, knowing that certain good fairies would 

 come in the night and clear away the greater part 

 of the nasty sticky grease. We were too numerous, 

 however, for all to have a taste of these dainties ; 

 they went to the best and fiercest fighters, and 

 I had learnt the art of using my teeth pretty 

 thoroughly, among other accomplishments, on board 

 ship, so that I was always there or thereabouts, as 

 the saying is. Some of the others had to be content 

 with w^hat they could get out of the cargo, and 

 they were very useful in opening the way for us 

 when we happened to want anything extra. It is 

 a great thing to be one of the strong ones in this 

 world : you get a much better time. Nature knows 

 this, too, for she makes all her arrangements with 

 a view to killing off the weaklings : it improves the 

 breed. Some people call her cruel, but I think 

 that she is only wise. Perhaps, howxver, I am not 

 a very fair judge, being so strong myself. 



' Well, on the third night a great wind came 

 swooping in from the Atlantic, and it blew fiercer 

 and fiercer towards morning. Then it dropped 

 quite suddenly, just as the day ought to have 



