THE RAT 



He came, as I was saying, and his evil name was 

 Billy, and he had not been about the place for a 

 week before he surprised me one morning in the 

 boothole. I must have dallied \\dth the milk-jug 

 overlong, for I feel very sure that he did not get 

 up any earlier than he could help. Take the advice 

 of an old rat, and never dally with the hquor, 

 whether it be contained in a jug or a bottle. I 

 bolted out of the window before he could find any- 

 thing to throw, and along the side of the tank. I 

 had the sense not to betray my home by going 

 through the window of the lumber-shed ; I jumped 

 off the tank to the gTOund, and ran out of the yard 

 door, and hid myself in the garden, but I had not 

 the sense to quit the premises at once and take up 

 my abode elsewhere. When night fell I returned 

 to my home behind the boxes, and must needs 

 enter the house once more for a drink of milk. 



I got in safely enough by the usual way, and I 

 licked out the saucer of blacking, and made my 

 way into the larder. I ought to mention that the 

 window of the larder also looked out on to the 

 yard. It was a still, moonless night, and I some- 

 how had a feeling of impending evil, but 1 meant 

 to beat an early retreat, and I could not see from 

 what quarter immediate harm was to come. Alas ! 



