Presently I heard a voice shout "Silence!" A buck rat had seated himself on the top of a plank, which I had not before observed. Much to my surprise he held a note-book in his hand, and opening it began to read. He was too keen-sighted, I suppose, to require spectacles, though how he managed to see in that light I could not tell.
"Silence!" he again cried; and he then shouted at the top of his voice, which was somewhat squeaky for an orator, "Friends, Romans, countrymen,--Lend me your ears."
I thought this a very odd way for a rat to commence an oration. As he spoke, all the rats, c.o.c.king up their ears, sat on their tails--some on the tops of the casks, others round and below me.
"Thank you for the attention you seem inclined to pay me, brother rats,"
he continued. "I wish to impress on your minds the serious fact that we, as a race, have been maligned, abused, hunted, and ill-treated in all varieties of ways. We have had traps set for us, and although we are not often caught in them, it serves to exhibit the malice of our enemies. Adding insult to injury, they have, as I have only lately discovered, designated us in one of their popular dictionaries as troublesome vermin of the mouse kind. Why should they not have described us as rodents of graceful form, endowed with wonderful sagacity and activity to which the smaller animal called the mouse is allied? These human beings have also the audacity to malign our character, to insinuate that we are fickle and undependable, besides being fierce and savage. Thus, when one of their own race changes sides, they say that the wretched biped has "ratted," Not content with abusing us, they make savage war against our race by every cruel mode they can devise. They chase us with cats and dogs. Not that we care much for the cats, who seldom venture into our haunts; but those horrid, keen-scented terriers, are, it must be confessed, justly to be dreaded.
Still more so are those cunning little ferrets which insinuate themselves into our abodes. The hatred of our enemies is exhibited in their use. Nowhere are we safe from them. They make their way through the narrowest crevices, dive down to the lowest depths we can reach, disturb our domestic happiness, watch for us on our hunting expeditions, and rout us out of our securest strongholds. This fearful persecution is originated, aided, and abetted by our malignant persecutors, who, besides the traps I have already spoken of, even attempt our destruction by mixing poison in the food they leave in our way. We have only the melancholy satisfaction of creeping beneath the boardings of their rooms, there to die, and to allow our decaying bodies to fill the air with noxious odours. Friends, Romans, countrymen," he went on, repeating his former curious style of address, "we have met to devise means to a.s.sert our rights among created beings, and to revenge ourselves for the injuries we have for so many centuries of the world"s history suffered. We are now decidedly in the majority on board this ship. We hold possession of her chief strongholds. Her captain, officers, and crew exist only on sufferance; so then, brother rats and sister rats, young and old, as it is our glorious privilege to belong to a free republic, express your opinions without fear. It is my business to note and record them."
Directly the speaker ceased, even for a moment, the rats began frisking and whisking about, biting at one another"s tails and leaping over one another, till he again shouted "Silence!"
"Has no one any opinion to offer?" he asked.
On this a grave-looking rat from the top of a cask answered, "Yes, I have an idea, which I"ll propound as soon as those frolicsome young fellows at the bottom of the hold will keep quiet."
On this the president again cried out, "Be quiet, you young rascals, or I"ll singe your whiskers. Now, Brother Snout, let us hear what your idea happens to be," he said, turning to the rat on the top of the cask.
The last-mentioned rat accordingly spoke, curiously using the same expressions as the former one had done. "Friends, Romans, countrymen: we are resolved on revenge. Revenge is sweet. Is it not so?"
To which all the rats, in chorus, shouted out "Yes, yes."
"But the mode in which we shall execute our vengeance is the question.
Now I have an idea--a bright idea. I propose that we should sharpen our teeth, and having sharpened them, that we should begin to gnaw a hole in the bottom of this ship. We can make our way, as we know by experience, through the stoutest cases. Why should we not do so through whole planks? "Perseverance conquers all difficulties." It will undoubtedly take time, but if we all work together and with a will we may bore not only one hole, but a thousand holes, when to a certainty the water will rush in and carry the captain, officers, and crew, our cruel tyrants, to the bottom, and our vengeance will be complete. So, brother rats, is not mine a bright idea, a grand idea, a superb idea? Who will second me?"
There was silence. When a grey-headed rat from the further end of the platform, lifting himself up, rose in his eagerness not only on his legs but on his tail, and said--
"Brethren and sisters. Has it not occurred to you that when we have succeeded--should we be so foolish as to make the attempt--in cutting holes through the ship"s bottom, we ourselves should be involved in the same catastrophe as the captain, officers, and crew? When the water rushes in, what will become of us? Why, we should be whirled round and round, and to a certainty become the first victims, perhaps the only ones, for there are boats on deck by which the captain, officers, and crew may make their escape, if they don"t happen to be loaded up with all sorts of lumber so that they can"t be cleared in time."
"Ah, but I have a resource for that. Let us first nibble holes in the boats; it will be good practice, and we should succeed in the course of the night in effecting our purpose," exclaimed the previous speaker.
"Brother Snout, with all due deference to your opinion, you are talking nonsense," said the grey-headed orator. "To my certain knowledge there are two dogs on board--one a Newfoundland, the other a terrier; I don"t much care for the big fellow, but the terrier would be at us, let the night be ever so dark, and a good many of our race would lose the number of their mess. Let me observe, in the politest way possible, that your plan is not worth the snuff of a candle."
The orator on the top of the cask was thus effectually shut up.
"Has no one else an opinion to give?" asked the president.
"I have," exclaimed a ferocious-looking rat with long whiskers, which he twirled vigorously as he sat upright. "I propose that we marshal our forces, one division to march aft to the captain and officers, and the other to the part where the crew are berthed. That at a given signal we set upon them and let the blood out of their jugulars. We shall thus gain the mastery of the ship, and be able to enjoy unlimited freedom."
"General Whiskerandos, your remarks savour very much of war, but pardon me remarking, very little of wisdom," remarked the aged orator. "You have omitted to mention several important matters. In the first place, let me observe that the crew of a ship never sleep all at one time.
Supposing a complete victory were gained over those below, the rest would discover the cause of their death, and would wage ruthless war against us. And what about the terrier? He sleeps at the door of the captain"s cabin. He would not be idle, depend on that. He would be delighted to encounter our leading column. It would be rare fun to him, but a disastrous circ.u.mstance for us. Let me advise you, Brother Whiskerandos, that your idea is a foolish one. Suppose just for one moment that we should succeed, and that we should put to death every human being on board, what would become of the ship? She would float about unless dashed on the rocks by a hurricane till, her timbers and planks rotting, the water would rush in and she would go to the bottom."
"That suggestion seems to be disposed of. Is it not?" asked the president.
"I have a proposal to make," exclaimed an aldermanic old rat, sitting up on the top of a chest. "I suggest a course of proceeding which cannot fail of success, and will, at the same time, be pleasant and agreeable to ourselves. We will sally forth and eat up all the provisions in the ship, cut holes in the water-casks and let out all the water. We will commence at the bottom, working our way upwards, so that we shall not run the risk of having our proceedings discovered. What we can"t eat we will destroy, so that those wretched mortals triumphing in their strength and intelligence will be deprived of the means of sustaining life, and must succ.u.mb before long to inevitable death; and we whom they have despised and ill-treated will gain possession of the ship and be our own masters, and sail in whatever direction we may please. The kingdom will be our own. We shall be lords of all we survey, and there will be no one to interfere with our proceedings."
"What about Nero and Pincher?" asked a small rat with a squeaky voice.
"What will become of them, Brother Doublechops?"
"When provisions run short they will to a certainty be killed and eaten by the bipeds," answered the stout orator. "I shall watch for the result with intense interest, and have made up my mind to have a nibble at their livers and other bits of their insides. It will afford me intense satisfaction to eat a portion of those who have destroyed if not devoured so many of our race."
"Oh! Brother Doublechops, oh! Brother Doublechops you are talking nonsense," said the aged orator, who was evidently one of the most influential rats of the a.s.sembly. "If, as I before observed, we were to kill the captain, officers, and crew, what"s to become of the ship without any one to navigate her? She can"t steer a course for harbour, and would remain tossed by the waves and blown about by the winds till she met the fate I before described, and went down to the bottom, carrying us with her."
"Has no one a further proposal to make?" inquired the president.
n.o.body answered; even the squeaky voice of the little rat, who looked as if he had no end of suggestions to offer, was silent. A murmur of rattish voices filled the air.
"Friends, Romans, citizens, again I ask you all to lend me your ears,"
exclaimed the president, at which all the rats put on a look of profound attention. "You have heard the proposals offered as well as the answers made to them. To me, speaking with due deference to the opinion of others, the proposals appear to be the most insane, foolish, and impracticable that could have been devised by rattish brains. Here we are, cut off from all connexion with the dry land and the whole race of rats. It is very clear that we can"t navigate this ship into harbour by ourselves. If we sink her we ensure our own destruction. If we kill the captain, officers, and crew by any of the means hinted at, we are equally certain ultimately to suffer. Here we are, and here inexorable fate dooms us to remain till we once more get alongside the sh.o.r.e and a plank from the ship enables us during the dark hours of night to effect our escape. Let us, therefore, like wise rats, in the meantime, be content with our condition, and enjoy at our ease the provisions with which the ship is stored."
"Granted, Mr President, that your remarks are correct," exclaimed Whiskerandos, who had before spoken, "I have still an idea which has long been hatching in my brain. I suggest that we wait until the ship reaches port and is moored securely alongside, when we will attack her planks both tooth and nail, and by boring holes in her bottom let in the water and make our escape."
Loud cheers followed this suggestion. No one waited to hear what the president said. It was sufficiently encouraging to suit the minds of the most fiercely disposed, while the more timid were pleased with it as it indefinitely put off the time of action.
I had been an interested listener to all that was said, and was very thankful that the rats had arrived at this conclusion. At first I was afraid that they might decide on attempting to sink the ship, and though I might have tried to prevent them, yet should they have attacked me with overwhelming numbers I might have found it impossible to contend with them. I cared little for their projects of sinking the ship in harbour. I hoped before then to have made my escape. They had hitherto curiously enough not discovered me, and I hoped that I should be able to remain concealed, as I dreaded a conflict with the savage creatures now surrounding me in countless numbers. I remained perfectly quiet, scarcely daring even to breathe. Suddenly I was seized with a fit of sneezing.
At the first sternutation the rats jumped up and looked about them, evidently considerably alarmed. Again I sneezed, when off they scampered, disappearing like greased lightning, as our American cousins say, through countless crevices and holes and other openings I had not before perceived.
The light which had during the time pervaded the hold, faded away, and I was left in total darkness. It was sometime before I could persuade myself that what I had seen and heard had been only conjured up by my imagination, though I had no doubt that real rats had been running about in the neighbourhood, and had given rise to my dream.
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
The hold of the "Emu"--Further attempts at escape--The storm ceases--A rat hunt--Slippery customers--Oh, for a trap!--My ingenuity exercised--Caught at last--My repugnance to rat"s flesh--Hunger needs no sauce--My subsequent impressions--Cannibal rats--My solitary life-- The rats grow cautious--The crate--I make a welcome discovery--A fresh expedition--As black as a n.i.g.g.e.r--Things might be worse.
Day and night to me were the same. My dreams having been troubled-- which was very natural considering the circ.u.mstances--I did not feel inclined to go to sleep, so I once more got up to try if I could find some food.
I first took a draught of water. Indeed, had it not been for that, I could not have existed so long. Carefully putting in the plug, for I dreaded exhausting my store, I groped my way back to the opening I had lately discovered. I knew my position by feeling for the holes I had made in the cases.
As no light reached me, I knew it was either night or that the hatch had been put on. I was puzzled to decide which was the case. I listened for the sound of human voices. None reached my ear.
My hunger had become ravenous. Food I must have, or I should perish. I felt conscious that I was much weaker. I again tried to make myself heard, shouting and shrieking as loud as I could, but my voice was faint though shrill, more like that of a puny infant than a stout boy. I was becoming desperate. I first crept in one direction, then in another, trying to force my way between the bales and other packages, but to no avail. Everywhere I was stopped by some impediment I could not remove.
The storm, I concluded, had ceased, as the ship was comparatively quiet, so that I was less afraid than before of being jammed up between the heavy packages and turned into a pancake.
I felt about in every crevice for the possibility of finding something to eat. I cared not what it was, provided I could get my teeth into it.
I remembered that rats often dragged away bits of food into their holes to devour at leisure, and I would gladly have found such a store. The idea that I might do so encouraged me to proceed.
If I could get out of my confined s.p.a.ce I knew that I should have a better chance of falling in with food, but how to get out was the question.
I crept back for the handspike, and tried to move some of the bales, but all my efforts were unavailing. I then, carrying the handspike with me, went to the bulkhead at the other end of my prison, and endeavoured by repeated blows to knock in a plank. They were all too stout to give way to my apparently feeble efforts.
I fancied that the blows must resound through the ship, and that the crew would come below to ascertain what produced the noise, but I waited and waited in vain.
At last I went back to my couch, and sat down to consider what was to be done. I knew that as I grew weaker both my strength and wits would decrease, and that I should be less capable of exerting myself.
After sitting quiet for some time, I heard the rats again running about.
Frequently they pa.s.sed close to me, but when I darted out my hands they slipped by them. Once I caught a fellow by the tail, but he wriggled it out of my fingers, and another whose nose I must have touched gave me a sharp nip and then bounded away.