Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1905-10-19


the deserted hulk but for the rats.
They were present in scores, great,
gray, leaping bewiskered fellows,
scurrying about decks and quarreling
with one another, no half-tame IN
offensive house animals, but savage,
impudent brutes, born and bred on
shipboard.
For want of anything better to do,
Hardy watched them. Finally he
grew tired, and at midnight. after
eight strokes on the bell, went down
into the cabin. In the middle of the
floor stood huge rat. The watch
man shouted at it. The beast lifted
its head inquiringly without a sign of
fear, and then trotted leisureIy into
the captains stateroom.
Hardy stretched himself out in a
dilapidated haircloth armchair, the
sole remaining article of furniture,
set his lantern down near by and tried
to fancy himself in command Of the
bark on a foreign voyage. He lost
consciousness for a time, but was sud-
denly reused by a sharp pain in the
right hand. Springing up, he flung
from him with a shudder of disgust
a rat which, emboldened by his sill
ence, had leaped into his lap and bit
ten the knuckle of his middle finger.
He looked at his watch 1t was
nearly two o'clock. the time when
mans life forces are said to be at
their lowest ebb. Over the decks
above, Hardy could bear numberless
feet pattering and racing, while the
air was rent by shrill, continuous
squeals. In the cabin itself were
fully dozen rats, darling in and out
lantern, Hardy went up the compan-
iOnWay.
The tide, which was almost high
gurgle6 steadily into the hold throuG:
the open seams, driving all the raj
upward. Until few days before, The:
animals had had enough to eat from
the cargo to keep them from being
hungry, but now lack of food hac
made them savage. The decks wert
literally alive with them, running
squeaiing, lighting.
Hardy had no sense Of fear, but
the ;ncessant squabbling wearied him,
and he longed for the approach Of
morning. He almost wished that the
harbor thieves would put in an ap-
pearance They could easily be
frightened off by a show of his re-
volver; and almost any human inter
ruption would be welcome to vary
this ceaseless squealing
The turmoil on the decks increased
The Waterman started forward, and
trod on the tail of one of the rats.
The animal turned upon him and sank
its teeth into his ankle with shrek.
There was something about that
note different than the others. AS its
sound a dead silence suddenly fell
upon the bark, and Hardy was aware
that every rat turned toward him.
Another shrill, vicious call from his
assailant, and in an instant the en-
gineer found himself the object Of Mt
tack by scores of foes.
Against the pinnacle leaned a
wooden capstanbar. Hardy sieaed
this with his right hand and
with the latern in his left. vaulted
upon the cabin roof, which rose about
four feet above the deck.
He gained thereby a momentary
respite, but soon his enemies discover
ed his whereabouts. Up they swarm
ed, clambering over the festoons Of
rigging along the edge of the cabin
top. The Waterman set down his
lantern, grasped the capstan.bar
tightly with both hands, and began
to lay about him with long. sweeping
blows that sent rat after rat flying
over the rail into the sea.
All first the engineer despised his
assailants. 1t seemed Assured to think
that his safety could be seriously en-
dangered by such contemplate ami
mails. They assailed him from behind
and he wheeled to meet them. rain
ing his blows in every direction, and
striving to shake himself free from
their attack. But they pressed him
hard, with an ominous, deadly earn
estness, and it did not take him long
to realize that he was fighting for
his very life.
Hardy's witness now stood him in
good stead. A bigger, clumsier man
could not have handled himself sol
quickly. Up and down, right and left,
swept the capstan-bar like fail.
He grew sick of the massacre. He
could see nothing outsidA the little
mist-walled circle illumined by the
lantern. Stay as many as he might.
their numbers seemed unthinned, and
their assault continued with undimir-
ished vigor. His arms were wearied
with welding the bar. but he had to
fight on.
Had Hardy cared he would have
jumped Overboard but he was only
very ordinary swimmer, the water
was cold, and the shore uear,y a mile
away.
But something must be done at
L