Part 14 (1/2)
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 s.h.i.+p. 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 s.h.i.+p. 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 s.h.i.+p'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 s.h.i.+p, 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 s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p? 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 s.h.i.+p, 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 s.h.i.+p 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?”