utterly unlike any animal he knew, and he tightened his hold on the
reins for fear of the fear of his horse. Educated man as he was, he
admits he asked himself if this could be something that his horse could
not see.

Ahead, and drawing near in silhouette against the rising moon, was the
outline of the little hamlet of Hankey, comforting, though it showed
never a light, and he cracked his whip and spoke again, and then in a
flash the rats were at him!

He had passed a gate, and as he did so, the foremost rat came leaping
over into the road. The thing sprang upon him out of vagueness into the
utmost clearness, the sharp, eager, round-eared face, the long body
exaggerated by its movement; and what particularly struck him, the pink,
webbed forefeet of the beast. What must have made it more horrible to
him at the time was, that he had no idea the thing was any created beast
he knew. He did not recognise it as a rat, because of the size. His
horse gave a bound as the thing dropped into the road beside it. The
little lane woke into tumult at the report of the whip and the doctor's
shout. The whole thing suddenly went fast.

_Rattle-clatter, clash, clatter_.

The doctor, one gathers, stood up, shouted to his horse, and slashed
with all his strength. The rat winced and swerved most reassuringly at
his blow--in the glare of his lamp he could see the fur furrow under the
lash--and he slashed again and again, heedless and unaware of the second
pursuer that gained upon his off side.

He let the reins go, and glanced back to discover the third rat in