Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

Rev. Walter Colton, in his agreeable and christian-like diary of a voyage to California in a man-of-war, entitled “Deck and Port,” [in which by the way, much is mildly and convincingly said against the spirit ration and flogging in the navy,] relates the following capital rat story.
I have always felt some regard for a rat since my cruise in the constellation. We were fitting for sea at Norfork, and taking in water and provisions; a plank was resting on the sill of one of the posts which communicated with the wharf. On a bright moonlight evening, we discovered two rats on the plank coming into the ship. The foremost was leading the other with a straw, one end of which each held in his mouth. We managed to capture them both, and found, to our surprise, the one led by the other was stone blind. His faithful friend was trying to get on board, where he would have comfortable quarters during a three years’ cruise. We felt no disposition to kill either, and landed them on the wharf. How many are there in this world to whom the fidelity of that rat readeth a lesson.