The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-18

heap of leaves, is a sure indication that my old friend, Sigmodon hispius, is here; there is Mus decumanus, and as live if there isn't my old friend, Mus Aexandrinus; indeed sir, the whole family from the great grandfather down to the minums are with you, and the stranger, who had meantime walked into the yard, without waiting for an invita- tion, was scraping here and there in every dust pile he could see with switch he had picked from the ground.
 "I guess you're right on your diag- nosis Doctor remarked the Captain. jocularly the disease this place is suf- fering from Is sure rats, not mice, but rats, and, as you seem to have the gen eric terms for the family at finger tips, maybe you're a second Pied Piper or Hamlin town in Brunswick, the famous Hanoverian city, and if you are you'd better bring out your magic reed right now and pipe your lay. You won't find a Weser real handy around here, but there are any number of creeks, and those you don't drown you can distribute among my neighbors.'
 ''The man in black laughed big laugh that seemed to come from his boots, and mopping his brow with big ban danna handkerchief, he replied to the sally: Well, sir, I ain't exactly the Pied Piper, nor have I been able to learn the secret of that rat-charming, kid-stealing Jew's-harp of his, but I'll tell you what sir, I can show you how to kill all the rats that ever lived, even including the pesky critters that so worried the staid burghers."
 You can show me how to kill them% and there was a note of real joy in the Captains voice; if you do that there's a good round sum in it for you
 Oh it's simply child's play to kill them assured the unknown with dep recatory gesture, and I'll come around after dinner and initiate you into the mysteries of the art The stranger started off, but Captain Webb stopped him.
 Oh no, don't go,' he cried. He was afraid to lose him. you know. Stop and take dinner with me- and then we can get down to the business The cadaver- ous man needed little urging and in few minutes the Captain was piling his unexpected guests plate with all the good things his generous larder afforded. The man ate as though he needed meal, but between the courses he would talk like some sage master of learning on genus Mus, and never forgot to re- mark how easy 1t was to kill them. Captain Webb was Tennessean, and if he didn't have the secret of extermin- ating rats, he knew how to make mint juleps What Tennessean doesn't? And as a wind-up to the meal he gave the Rat Killer julep that just made his lips smack
 After dinner the Captain and the stranger sat on the veranda, and when their fragrant cigars furnished by the host of course were all but burned ont, Captain Webb, arising from his chair, said: Now show me how to kill the rats
 Nothing easier agreed the stranger. Let us go to yon smokehouse. Captain Webb led the way, and when the place suggested was reached the man in black asked: Have you soap box?' Captain Webb readily produced the box, and the stranger placed it with an air of mys-. tery in the center of the floor. And now, my dear sir he said, with another bow and a sweep of that dusty hat of his, procure for your humble servant a piece of hickory stove wood Captain