194 
THE RAT. 
throats!" " The deuce you can!" exclaimed the captain; 
" then I'd like to see you do it !" 
Away went our hero below, and got the blade of a 
razor ; then rubbing it over with something out of a small 
bottle, came on deck, and stuck it upright in a plank ; that 
done, he went down into the steward's room, and poured 
some of the stuff on the soles of his shoes ; then, after 
walking about the place, he came up to where the razor 
was, and there pulled off his shoes ; then went and stood 
apart, where the captain and the rest were waiting to see 
the result. Presently the rats smelt the stuff below, and 
following it, made their way on deck to the razor, when 
the eagerness of those behind pushed the foremost against 
the blade, and cut them. Like some of our friends here, 
the superstition of the captain overcame his judgment. 
He roared out to them to lower the boat instantly, and 
take that wizard on shore, for he wouldn't sail with him. 
" Take him on shore directly, I say, or he'll sink the ship." 
And so the rat-catcher was set at liberty once more, to 
follow his old trade of rat-charming. 
And now, you are doubtless anxious to know what was 
in the bottle. But, first, I must tell you, there are four 
kinds of witches commonly used for charming rats ; 
namely, a red herring, some old rags, a small bottle of the 
oil of aniseed, and a calf's tail. These are the witches 1 
and the method of using them is simply thus : — If you 
prefer the red herring, all you have to do, is to tie it by the 
tail with a piece of string ; but be careful to handle it as 
little as possible. Then, after dark, when all is quiet, just 
trail it on the ground round the barn or rick where the rats 
are, and then strike off, trailing it all the way to the place 
where you wish them to go, and there leave it ; or, if you 
know the place where they drink, it is only necessary to 
trail it across their path to the place you would have them 
go, and that will have the same effect. The consequence is, 
when the rats come out to drink at the nearest pond, ditch, 
or river, they will catch the scent of the herring ; off they 
will go, nosing it all the way like hounds ; and when there, 
it is a hundred to one they do not go back, but quietly take 
up their abode where they are. This method of drawing 
them mostly proves successful ; but either of the others I 
