CHAPTER XXV 
African Gnawers 
R ATS become numerous in certain localities and give much trou¬ 
ble. At times they become very bold and will invade the home 
of man. The following is an experience of a lady in Africa 
with the brown rat: “When living in Cape Coast Castle, I used to see 
the rats come in troops past my door, walking over my black boys as 
they lay there, and who only turned themselves over to present the other 
sides of their faces and bodies when the rats returned, and thought it a 
good joke. The fiercest encounter which I ever had with them was dur¬ 
ing one of those terrific storms which are more furious between the 
tropics than elsewhere. I was then, however, under the Equator, in a 
native hut, and heard an exceeding rustling and movement all around 
me. To my horror I perceived that these proceeded from a number of 
rats running up and down the sides of the room in which I was to pass 
the night, and who shortly began to run over me, they being disturbed 
by the torrents of rain which were then falling. The only weapon I 
could find was a shoe, and curling myself into a large armchair taken 
out of a French vessel, and covered with blue satin damask, I sat 
prepared for my enemies, whom I dreaded much more than the light¬ 
ning, which was flashing across the iron bars laid upon the floor. I 
felt that the silk of my place of refuge was some sort of protection 
against this; but my own arm could alone save me from my four-footed 
foes. Presently my husband came in, and saluted me with a shout of 
laughter, which, however, abated when he saw my antagonists. The 
storm lulled for a while, and the rats retreated. We then crept within 
the curtains of bamboo cloth which encircled a rude imitation of a four- 
post bedstead, but I kept possession of my shoe. Weary with watching, 
I closed my eyes, but was awakened by a tremendous flash of lightning, 
immediately followed by awful thunder and a tumultuous rush of rats. 
Some of them scrambled up the outside of the curtains; but, arms in 
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