100 
THE EAT. 
oj^ponent. The place, too, was perfectly dark ; the conse- 
quence was, that whichever way the ferret turned, he felt 
the full length of the rat's teeth, and hence his total defeat ; 
but could he have got behind, or sideways, the result might 
have been different. 
Thus it is with inexperienced persons ; they will spoil the 
best cat, dog, or ferret in the world ! They forget that 
though these animals may liave great courage, they have at 
the same time feelings the same as themselves, and are no 
fonder of being knocked about, or bitten by rats, than they 
are. However, my ferret was rendered worthless ; and to 
warn my readers against another folly, I may here mention 
that this man spoiled a very excellent puppy of mine, by 
giving him a rat in a gin-trap ; he did not let the rat loose, 
but threw it down, trap and all. The result was, that when 
the puppy shook the rat, he nearly knocked one of his own 
eyes out with a corner of the trap, and was blind ever after ; 
nor would he ever touch another rat, or anything else. 
A few years since, an account was published in the Irish 
papers, of a little girl who was passing through a field, 
when she observed a magpie and a rat engaged in mortal 
combat. In breathless haste she ran home, and brought 
some men to the spot, who found that, in her absence, a 
second magpie had come to the assistance of the first. The 
battle was raging furiously, with no flinching on either 
side. However, after some minutes of desperate strug- 
gling, they succeeded in killing the rat ; though it appears 
he stood to his work most bravely, and fought to the 
last. 
If this does not say much for his cunning and strength, it 
says a great deal for his courage ; or he would have beat 
a retreat, and not stood to be picked to death. 
It is a curious fact, that when male rats become aged and 
sombre, they will retire into solitude, and there live by them- 
selves, in perfect enmity and disgust with the whole of their 
fraternity. In this way it is possible they may live a long 
time, and in the end die a natural death j whereas, by stop- 
ping among their community, they would most assuredly be 
eaten up as soon as they became drowsy, peevish, or decrepit. 
In their retirement they often fill out to a great size, through 
good living, steady habits, and plenty of rest ; and will prove 
