himself into the streets, moon or no
moon, it was all one to him. He brought us back accounts of many
singular adventures,-- how he had been seen by a dog, chased by a cat,
and nearly run over by a drosky, the name given to the vehicles which in
St. Petersburg take the place of our London cabs.

"Have a care, brother, have a care! Even the brave may dare too much,
and the fortunate venture once too often!" with such exclamations as
these our courteous Russian rat would listen to the tales of such
hair-breadth escapes.

The effect of his words upon me was to render me cautious,-- timid
perhaps you will call it. The only motives which usually roused me to
encounter danger, were hunger, or overpowering curiosity. I liked to see
all, hear all, and know all, and picked up scraps of general information
with the same relish that I would have picked up scraps of cheese.

Once Whiskerandos came home in high spirits. He had made such a
discovery, found such treasures,-- been in the very place where of all
others a rat might rejoice in boundless content.

Directly behind the Exchange he had found a large open space, fenced
round with iron railing, which, while keeping out man, offered
everywhere a door of welcome to rats. Here, protected by nothing but
tarpaulin, was collected a quantity of goods, both those which had been
imported into Russia, and those with which she paid back from her own
productions the contributions of the world.

"Oh, the mountains of tallow which I saw there!" exclaimed Whiskerandos,
executing a somerset in the air, in the excess of his admiration and
delight.

"There may well be mountains, brother," observed Wisky, "since, besides
the quantities which she uses herself, Russia is said to export every
year about _two hundred and fifty millions of pounds_ of tallow, of
which above one half is shipped from St. Petersburg."

"Two hundred and fifty millions!" I exclaimed, almost breathless with
amazement, "why, surely that is enough to light up the whole world, and
feast every rat that is in it! I would give anything to see the place
where such glorious mountains are to be found?"

"Trust yourself with me to-morrow night, and I will guide you to the
place," said Whiskerandos.

Now commenced a conflict in my mind, caution pulling me one way,
curiosity the other, while a discussion took place between my comrades,
Wisky backing caution, Whiskerandos curiosity,-- and the English rat won
the day.

So th