A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 75: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

12 A QUEER RACE. cannot live without water, and this was the reason why- there were so many of them about the water-tunks, where they slaked their thirst by licking up the drippings and droppings. But as there was so much less water drawn than formerly, there were fewer drippings, and the rats being for that reason extremely dry, water would make a splendid bait. All that was necessary would be to take buckets, put a few inches of water at the bottom—mixed with molasses to prevent them from jumping out—fix long strips of wood on the sides, so balanced that when the rats ran along them to get at the water they would fall into the buckets. ““ Very well,” I said; ‘‘try it. But in my opinion the less you have to do with the rats the better. If they have not got the fever—I wish they had—they can give it.” ; | ‘Oh, I have no fear. I shall not take the fever. [| never thought I should. Besides, that storm must have blown it all out of the ship.” So Tom arranged his buckets, put them down into the hold near the water-tanks, and awaited the result with great expectations. An hour later he came up in great glee, bringing one ef his buckets. ‘‘Look here!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ And there’s more in the others.” In the bottom of the bucket was a writhing mass of rats. ‘T’he water had not been deep enough to drown all of them, and the survivors, entangled in the molasses, were fighting desperately over the bodies of their eom- rades. ‘“Poor wretches!” I said. ‘‘Put them out of their misery, ‘l’om!” ‘“ Poor wretches! Put them out of their misery! I would rather put them into abit more. Isn’t it them as did all the mishief? But here goes! I'll chuck them into the water, and let the sharks catch ’em—if they cun. They’ll be well met.” And with that Tom went to the taffrail and turned the bucket upside down, whereupon all the rats, dead and alive—all save one, a fierce-looking, gray-whiskered veteran, which contrived to cling to the side—fell pell- mel] into the sea. (E(o)/ AA) G JOO cS (€(0)