1. The Meet was to be at Cropper's
Gorse, 5:30. At 4:30 Thompson called for me. He
said he knew the way perfectly.
2. After we had gone a couple of
miles, a steady rain came on. I didn't think much
of the beauties of early morning.
3. "Well, my man," said Thompson,
"seen the hounds? This is Cropper's Gorse, I
suppose?" "Noa, Sur; this be Cropper's Plantation.
The Gorse be four miles over yonder!"
4. "Extraordinary thing I should
have been mistaken," said Thompson. "Never mind.
Let's canter on, and we'll see some fun yet."
5. "Hi! my boy, is this Cropper's
Gorse?" asked Thompson. "Noa, Sur. This be
Cropper's Common. The Gorse be five miles over
yonder!"
6. Then Thompson had the decency to
say, "Let's go back and have breakfast."
RATS IN COUNCIL.
A mass meeting of Rats was held (unknown to the Park-keepers) under the Reformer's Oak in Hyde Park, at midnight of last Sunday. The object of the gathering was to protest against the proposal made by a Correspondent of The Times, that the "sewer-rats who had established themselves in the sylvan retreat" known as Hyde Park Dell, should be exterminated by means of "twenty ferrets and a few capable dogs."
Mr. RODENT (Senior) was called upon to preside. He took the hillock amid waving of tails and much enthusiasm, and remarked that he trusted that that vast assembly, one of the most magnificent demonstrations that even Hyde Park had ever known, would show by its orderly behaviour, that Rats knew how to conduct business. (Cheers.) They lived in strange times. A barbarous suggestion had been made to evict them—to turn them out of house and home, by means of what he might call Emergency Ferrets. (Groans, and cries of "Boycott them!") He feared that boycotting a ferret would not do much good. (A squeak—"Why not try rattening?"—and laughter.) Arbitration seemed to him the most politic course under the circumstances. (Cheers.) They were accused of eating young moor-chicks. Well, was a Rat to starve? ("No, no!") Did not a Rat owe a duty to those dependent upon it? (Cheers, and cries of "Yes!") He appealed to the opinion of the civilised world to put a stop—At this point in the Chair-rat's address, an alarm of "Dogs!" was raised, and the meeting at once dispersed in some confusion.
