se of the
term. We sold groceries, drapery, hardware, butcher's meat, bread, and
strong drink. The building was a large one of galvanized iron. It stood
on one side of the road, Mr. Shepperd's dwelling-house was on the
other. The store was overrun with rats. I had to sleep on the counter,
and the beastly vermin ran squeaking over the premises all night long.
Often they awoke me by running across my face. I dreaded those rats
more than ever I did the lions hi the Low Country.

A friend, hearing of my plight, commandeered a cat at Mac Mac, and
brought it to me in a bag late one Saturday night. That Eastern
potentate we all have read of in our childhood was not more grateful to
Dick Whittington than I was to this benefactor. The shop was closed at
11 p.m., so, after shutting every place of exit, I let the cat out of
the bag. Although very wild and fierce, after the long imprisonment and
the rough journey, it soon settled down to work.

That night was one of great enjoyment both to the cat and to myself. I
lay awake for hours listening to this good angel preying on the Hosts
of Midian which had so grievously tormented me. Next morning rats lay
dead all over the shop, each with its head bitten off. The cat showed
signs of scandalous repletion, but it, nevertheless, fought the good
fight all through Sunday. It came up at my call to be stroked as though
I had known it from kittenhood. It never made the least attempt to
escape. Soon there was not a rat or a mouse on the premises.

Commerce never attracted me. At the store of Mr. James I thoroughly
hated my work. Mr. Shepperd, the butcher, the baker, and I formed the
staff. The butcher and baker, respectively, killed and baked by night,
and sold the products of their skill by day. I was principally
responsible for the grocery and hardware branches. But I could never
wrap up a pound of sugar neatly, however hard I might try; and the
entries I made in the books of the firm would, I am sure, have puzzled
the best actuary. Although a good deal of merchandise passed through my
hands, I fear I must have done the business a lot of harm, for there
were many complaints on the part of customers as to the manner in which
their orders were executed.

I well remember the case of a man who came very late one Saturday night
to purchase a pair of boots. The foot-gear then affected by the digger
was enormously heavy and had heel-plates almost as thick as horseshoes.
The boots were joined in