DESTRUCTIVE HABITS OF THE RAT. 
157 
gardener in a state of perfect consternation and bewilder- 
ment j but lie no sooner saw his neighbour than, without 
saying a word, he took hold of him and conducted him to the 
garden, to show him the cause of his grief, when, to his 
surprise, not a single plant was standing. When he was 
asked how such a disaster came about, the gardener took him 
to the kennel at the back of the house, in front of which there 
was a pond, and showed him the monsters that had torn up 
his plants for the sake of the seeds at the bottom. Our hero 
says that the kennel and all round the pond was swarm- 
ing with rats ; and so daring and audacious did they 
appear, that neither he nor the gardener had courage 
-enough to disturb them, but sought security by quietly 
leaving them to themselves. He returned home, and 
informed his master of the circumstance, who seemed very 
much infuriated at the marauders. But, strange to say, the 
rats, finding nothing to eat at the dog-kennel, that very 
night paid him a visit, and quietly ensconced themselves in 
his bean-rick. When he arose in the morning he soon 
•discovered their presence, and directly ran to acquaint his 
master, who (like a gallant and intrepid soldier) instantly 
despatched him with orders to fetch the rat-catcher, and also 
his dogs and ferrets. Away he went, and arrived just in 
time to catch the man as he was starting across the country 
in search of a job. He took him into the gig, with his dogs 
^nd ferrets, and returned with equal speed to the farm, 
where they found the general seemingly red-hot for action. 
^' But stop, my friend," said the general, " let us first hold a 
council of war upon which he took them into the par- 
lour, and brought out a bottle of brandy, and glasses. 
" There, my friends, be seated, and let us reason the matter 
xjoolly." They seated themselves round the breakfast-table, 
and after demolishing sundry wedges of cold ham, bread, 
butter, eggs, &c., and washing them down with copious cups 
of coffee, each of which, by the bye, had been slightly diluted 
with small drops of brandy, they then drew themselves up 
for grave deliberation. " Now, my friends," said the general, 
" the time has arrived when our most daring resolutions 
-and best energies must be brought into action ; there- 
fore I wish to consult your superior judgments as to 
which of two plans will be the best to discomfit and defeat 
