by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.
A SWARM OF INTRUDERS.
My feeling of security proved to be a false one. I could not have beenasleep more than a quarter of an hour, when I was suddenly awakened bysomething running over my breast. Was it another rat? If not, itcertainly was some creature that behaved exactly like one.
I lay for some moments without stirring, and listened attentively; but Icould hear nothing. Had I only dreamt that something ran over me? Notso; for just then I thought I could hear the pattering of little feetover the loose cloth. Right; I did hear the sound, and the moment afterfelt the same feet upon my thigh.
Starting upward, and bringing my hand down upon the spot, I was againhorrified by feeling a large rat, that, as soon as I touched it, sprangaway, and I could hear it rattling off through the crevice between thecasks.
Surely it could not be the same I had just despatched? No, cats _do_come to life again after being supposed to be dead (sometimes afterbeing buried!) but I never heard of rats possessing this extraordinarypower of vitality. I felt satisfied that I had quite killed the rat--infact, the handling I gave it might have taken nine lives, if it had hadthat number to spare. It was dead as a nail when I flung it out. Itcould not be that one.
And yet, absurd as it may seem, I fancied, half asleep as I was, that itwas the same rat returning to avenge itself. This fancy, however,forsook me as soon as I was fairly awake, and I knew it could not be thesame. Most likely it was its mate, or partner, and a fit partner itwas, for I noticed as I passed my fingers over it, that this second onewas also a rat of very large size.
No doubt, thought I, this is the female of the one I have killed comingin search of her mate. But she had entered by the same crevice; shemust have passed where the dead one lay, and must know what hadoccurred? Was she going to avenge his death?
Sleep was again banished from my eyes. How could I sleep, with such ahideous animal prowling about, and perhaps with the fixed intention toattack me?
Wearied as I had now grown with watching, I could not go to rest until Ishould rid myself of this second intruder.
I was under the belief that this one would soon return again. I had notcaught hold of it, but merely touched it with my fingers, and as I hadoffered no particular violence to it, likely enough it would soonventure back.
Under this conviction I placed myself as before, close to the crevice,jacket in hand, and with my ear set close to the aperture, I listenedattentively.
In a few minutes I distinctly heard the chirrup of a rat outside, andalmost continually the same scratching and pattering I had noticedbefore.
I think there was some loose board or hollow box by which the sound wasproduced--for it was very loud to be caused by so small an animal.These noises continued, and I fancied that I also heard the rat passinginto my chamber, but still the pattering and scratching were kept upoutside, and therefore the animal could not be in.
Once more I was sure I heard it passing me, but at the same time thechirrup fell on my ear, and that certainly came from without. Again andagain I fancied I was not the only tenant of the chamber, but I stillrestrained myself from closing up the crevice, thinking I might bemistaken.
At length, however, a loud squeal was uttered to the right of myposition, certainly within the enclosure; and, waiting no longer, Istuffed the jacket into the aperture, and made all tight and sure.
I now turned to feel for the rat, taking the precaution, as before, toinsert my hands into the buskins. I had taken still another precaution,and that was to tie the legs of my trousers tight around my ankles, lestthis other rat should act as its predecessor had done. Thus prepared, Iproceeded to grope around.
I had no liking for the encounter, but I was determined to rid myself ofthe annoyance which I had been suffering, and get some sleep, withoutbeing again disturbed; and I could think of no other way than to killthe rat as I had done its companion.
So to work I again went. Horror of horrors! fancy the terrible fearsthat ran through me, when, instead of one rat, I discovered that a wholeswarm of these hideous brutes was enclosed in my apartment! Not one,but probably half a score of them! The place appeared crowded withthem, and I could scarce put down the buskins without touching one. Ifelt them running all around me, over my legs, the backs of my hands--everywhere--at the same time uttering their fierce cries as if they weremenacing me!
It is but truth to say, I was frightened nearly out of my senses. Ithought no longer about killing them. For some moments I scarcely knewwhat I was doing; but I remember that I had the presence of mind to layhold of my jacket, and pull it out of the aperture. Then swinging itaround, I continued to beat the floor in every direction, shouting allthe while at the top of my voice.
My shouts and the violence of my actions appeared to produce the desiredeffect, for I heard the rats retreating through the crevice; and after atime, on venturing to reconnoitre the floor with my naked hands, Ifound, to my delight, they had taken their departure, one and all ofthem.