The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-02

TT ANS SNUFF sat in the old cob- I webby, dust-covered loft ot his mill. smoked his pipe slowly and seriously. and puzzled his brain for plan to rid the building oI rats.
 bothered him of nights by seampering over his bed. They ransacked his pantry and built their nests ID his cupboard. As he smoked and planned fsr eueshs shsr from Ssaa e as soaa soas and stuffy corners under the sacks Of nour No doubt they were commenilnE upon the appearance and also pianilithSS 2. ,!la n their way to do five times as much dam- 1t was easy to see that Hans Snuff had lived in the mill all his life. for 1t like the mill, or else it had patterned after his appearance. Hans was snort and squat, so was the mill: Hans wore an old ccat, yellow in color and whiteneo by the flour; the mill was of the same dingy yellow white. In but one thing did they differ-Hans hated the rats of the mill with fine hate; the mill seemed to love them in its dry. musty corners and floors, protecting them from all his efforts beyond traps.
 But with traps Hans had quite a reputation, and when the rats were to Tom, large cat. with gray and white stripes.
 From the loft Hans could see acrosg
  yellow in the sunshine; beyond it the sea. Hans nodded once or twice, but the thought of the rats never left his mind He had just about settled the fate of every whiskered fellow In the country, when very funny thing hap pened. The sun ran across the sky ana plunged downward into the sea, tns dike seemed to dance jig, and Tom the cat, in the window. rev smaller ana smaller, until he at last disappeared. The sails of the mill stopped, and the little red-roofed house on the hill tufhea aSureiyss said Hans, ''surely some- thing strange has come to this part or Then he glanced downward toward the grinding stones, and there-there sat the largest gray rat he had ever seen. I was an old fellow, with wnisKefs es..aS neanaS to be broken in one or TWO places. Ole of his eyes was gone, and an ear Son- sisted simply of ribbons, and hung , ntnp. He had very funny cap on ms heau, too. something Hans had never seen on rats head before. Hans was so as- tonished that rat should come ,st out bis on his millstone and brave him hnd thaL ms ta pipe fell to the fiAor and smashed 70 h.!5s That 1t'i is the very rat" said Hans to himself, that daxa l aao snrsw 'he S
 stfg Tha old fellow stuck his head on one side, 20 as to better view danA with the good nosf eye comieal aRa fashion faShien.
 Hans Snuff. Hans Anuff. you're bad manw squeaked~ the rat
 "Only to rats," mumbled Hans. ,,
 .fSVeii. I am the king of the rats. ssid the old fellow, proudly, and I've cona to have a talk with you, Hans SnIIff and tell you what think or your Ways You threw stove hd at me tne '. other day, Hans Snuff, and l nave onIy fo thank that east in your right eye that inc rats are not holding a. convention over a new king. It was heaVy stove Iid Hans Snuff, and had it hit me fair I would have been very SICK rat You should be ashamed of yourseI' hahS snI'h' aI'il never do it again." said Hans,
 ssYou'd better not. Don't you see now voir mill is stopped and the sun run down? We've managed all that because ,, of the stove lid. You are getting above yourself, Hans Snuff; you're naughty boy"
 Hans gasped.
 Boy! Why, I'm an old man, I'm
 You're not near so old as the King of the Rats. I knew your great -grand- father, Hans Snuff; anc. by the way, you've broken his fine yellow pipe, He was a much better man than you, Hans snuff.. and I fail to remember any stove lids of his."
 The rat moved into more comfortable attitude, then continued.
 ''Now, you see, Hans Snuff, the rats are tired of your ways, and all those