CHAPTER V.
The next morning Major, the horse, was eagerly eating his breakfast of nice fresh oats. He was an easy-tempered fellow, but this morning he was greatly annoyed, and with good reason; he was very hungry and must share his breakfast with several rats that were bold enough to venture into his manger and steal his oats from before his very eyes.
“I do wish my friend the barn-cat would not take the opportunity to go out while I am eating,” said Major to himself. “I knew how it would be when she told me she must go and see Mrs. Polly about this plan of bringing that child Nancy here. ‘When the cat’s away the mice will play;’ and what’s more, the rats too. Here, old Graywhisker, you come any nearer and I’ll bite off your tail!”
“I’d like to see you do it,” snarled the old rat; and as he spoke he showed his long yellow teeth with one of them broken off, which gave him a very disagreeable expression. “I’d like to see you stop us from eating a few of your oats. You’re too fat already; I heard Mr. Winton tell Michael so the other day.”
“I should be loath to tell you what I’ve heard him say about you,” answered Major angrily; “you wouldn’t sleep very well nights if I did.”
The old rat forgot his usual caution, and came nearer to Major’s face than ever before; and Major, his patience gone, gave a sudden snort and pushed them all out of the manger with his nose. Then when he was left alone he went on eating his breakfast. After that he found himself becoming very sleepy, and shutting his eyes he fell into a doze. As he slept the old rat stole quietly out of his hole and looked cautiously about.
“Come,” he said to the others, “come out on the barn floor, for I have something of importance to say to you, and this is a good time, as Major is asleep, and the barn-cat off. Here, you Silvertail, you keep a sharp lookout in every direction, and tell me if you see the barn-cat coming.”
The young rat addressed, quickly climbed on the window-sill, whence he could command a fine view of the entrances to the barn.
“Do you see anything of the barn-cat?” asked the old rat.
“Yes, I see her right in front of the dining-room window; and by the way she swishes her tail I know she’s talking pretty fast.”