"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 circumstance 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 succumb 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 assembly. "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.
Nobody 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 shore 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.