Half dazed, the expressman sat upon the sidewalk, and viewed the shattered box lying in the path of light from the open door. The lawyer approached and stood over the bewildered man.
"What's the meaning of all this?" he demanded.
"Meaning!" the man replied, rubbing his bruised right shoulder. "Why do you ask me? What's on here to-night, anyway? A menagerie, or a wild-west show?"
"Get up, and explain why you brought that box of rats here," Rackshaw ordered, ignoring the other's question.
"Rats! Brought rats here! I don't understand."
"Yes, rats. That first box you brought was full of rats; big rats, gray rats and all kinds of rats. They've turned hell loose in there."
"Good Lord!" the expressman gasped, as he leaned over to obtain a better view of the office. "Did the rats do that?"
"Indeed they did."
"And was that one of them that knocked me down?"
"Get up," Rackshaw commanded. "What's the matter with you? Did you ever see a rat the size of that? Don't you know a dog when you see it?"