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Updated: July 10, 2025
"I have to train you," said the gnome, "to be fit for a king's bride!" But Jasome', though she thanked him, only cried to be let out. In front of the rat-catcher's house rose a little spring of salt water with gold dust in it, that gilded the basin where it sprang.
He had got the lad a pudding-headed fellow by the ear and was saying, "What? Lost again smothered o' wit." Another time I remember hearing him call the village rat-catcher by saying, "Come hither, thou three-days-and-three-nights, thou," alluding, as I afterwards learned, to the rat-catcher's periods of intoxication; but I will tell no more of such trifles.
Now he heard the Halakazi soldiers talking without. "The Zulu rats do not love this run," said one, "they fear the rat-catcher's stick. This is good sport," and a man laughed. Then Umslopogaas pushed himself forward as swiftly as he could, holding the dead man on his back, and suddenly came out of the hole into the open place in the dark shadow of the great rock.
The king has no stancher friend in all the province than I. Why, damme,'twas I who " A trooper came behind and gagged him with the loose end of the rope; and Tybee held the candle to light the knotting of it. And so they marched him out, with Tybee muttering between his teeth that it was rat-catcher's work, and no soldier's, this killing of vermin, and bidding his men make haste.
This will serve to show that a Rat-catcher must not be without a good dog. And now, respecting the ways and habits of Rats I think I have given my readers interesting and varied illustrations of what I have seen and experienced during my time. This work will not be complete if I do not deal with the Rat-catcher's life.
Up jumped Jasome', and ran to the rat-catcher's house. "Oh, father," she cried, "now you can undo all your cruelty to me; for now, if you will give back the gnome his gold, he will give my own face back to me, and I shall marry the king's son!" But the rat-catcher was filled with admiration at the sight of her, and would not believe a word she said.
I remember being once employed at a hospital, and I was paid at the rate of 5s. per visit for trapping Rats. The committee said they thought 5s. per visit was enough, and one or two of them said they thought 8s. per night was above a Rat-catcher's pay. Now, as I was not depending on that particular job at the time, I turned round and told them what I thought.
So the gnome carried away all the sacks of gold before the rat-catcher's eyes; and when he had them safe underground, then at last he let the old man go. Then he called Jasome' to follow him, and she went down willingly into the black earth.
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