My feeling of security proved to be a false one. I could not have been
asleep more than a quarter of an hour, when I was suddenly awakened by
something running over my breast. Was it another rat? If not, it
certainly was some creature that behaved exactly like one.
I lay for some moments without stirring, and listened attentively; but I
could hear nothing. Had I only dreamt that something ran over me? Not
so; for just then I thought I could hear the pattering of little feet
over the loose cloth. Right; I did hear the sound, and the moment after
felt the same feet upon my thigh.
Starting upward, and bringing my hand down upon the spot, I was again
horrified by feeling a large rat, that, as soon as I touched it, sprang
away, and I could hear it rattling off through the crevice between the
casks.
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 after
being buried!) but I never heard of rats possessing this extraordinary
power of vitality. I felt satisfied that I had quite killed the rat--in
fact, the handling I gave it might have taken nine lives, if it had had
that number to spare. It was dead as a nail when I flung it out. It
could not be that one.
And yet, absurd as it may seem, I fancied, half asleep as I was, that it
was 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 the
same. Most likely it was its mate, or partner, and a fit partner it
was, for I noticed as I passed my fingers over it, that this second one
was also a rat of very large size.
No doubt, thought I, this is the female of the one I have killed coming
in search of her mate. But she had entered by the same crevice; she
must have passed where the dead one lay, and must know what had
occurred? Was she going to avenge his death?
Sleep was again banished from my eyes. How could I sleep, with such a
hideous animal prowling about, and perhaps with the fixed intention to
attack me?
Wearied as I had now grown with watching, I could not go to rest until I
should rid myself of this second intruder.
I was under the belief that this one would soon return again. I had not
caught hold of it, but merely touched it with my fingers, and as I had
offered no particular violence to it, likely enough it would soon
venture 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 listened
attentively.
In a few minutes I distinctly heard the chirrup of a rat outside, and
almost continually the same scratching and pattering I had noticed
before.
I think there was some loose board or hollow box by which the sound was
produced--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 passing
into my chamber, but still the pattering and scratching were kept up
outside, and therefore the animal could not be in.
Once more I was sure I heard it passing me, but at the same time the
chirrup fell on my ear, and that certainly came from without. Again and
again I fancied I was not the only tenant of the chamber, but I still
restrained myself from closing up the crevice, thinking I might be
mistaken.
At length, however, a loud squeal was uttered to the right of my
position, certainly within the enclosure; and, waiting no longer, I
stuffed the jacket into the aperture, and made all tight and sure.
I now turned to feel for the rat, taking the precaution, as before, to
insert 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, lest
this other rat should act as its predecessor had done. Thus prepared, I
proceeded to grope around.
I had no liking for the encounter, but I was determined to rid myself of
the annoyance which I had been suffering, and get some sleep, without
being again disturbed; and I could think of no other way than to kill
the rat as I had done its companion.
So to work I again went. Horror of horrors! fancy the terrible fears
that ran through me, when, instead of one rat, I discovered that a whole
swarm of these hideous brutes was enclosed in my apartment! Not one,
but probably half a score of them! The place appeared crowded with
them, and I could scarce put down the buskins without touching one. I
felt 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 were
menacing me!
It is but truth to say, I was frightened nearly out of my senses. I
thought no longer about killing them. For some moments I scarcely knew
what I was doing; but I remember that I had the presence of mind to lay
hold of my jacket, and pull it out of the aperture. Then swinging it
around, I continued to beat the floor in every direction, shouting all
the while at the top of my voice.
My shouts and the violence of my actions appeared to produce the desired
effect, for I heard the rats retreating through the crevice; and after a
time, on venturing to reconnoitre the floor with my naked hands, I
found, to my delight, they had taken their departure, one and all of
them.