And he jumped along, dragging with him the waves of scratching rats, all the thousand sounds.
Raoul and the Persian breathed again, though still trembling.
"I ought to have remembered that Erik talked to me about the rat-catcher," said the Persian.

"But he never told me that he looked like that ...

and it's funny that I should never have met him before ...

Of course, Erik never comes to this part!" [Illustration: two page color illustration] "Are we very far from the lake, sir ?" asked Raoul.

"When shall we get there?
...