be allowed to
enjoy the liberty so charitably given him, and who, if he got his
proper deserts, should be put in chains. He was depicted as having a
mania for roaming about the island with a gun, shooting wild cats and
anything else that came within range. Madame Bertrand's pet kids, a
bullock, and some goats were reported to have fallen victims to this
vicious maniac. Old Montchenu and Lowe became alarmed lest he should
kill some human being by mistake; they perplexed their little minds as
to the form of indictment should such an event happen. Should it be
manslaughter or murder? This knotty question was submitted with
touching solemnity to the law officers of the Crown for decision, and
it may be assumed that even their sense of humour must have been
excited when they learned of the quandary of the Governor and the
French Commissioner. The shooting propensity set the ingenious Lowe
a-thinking, and in order to satisfy it he evolved the idea of having
rabbits let adrift, but, as usual, another of his little comforting
considerations is abortive, and the plan has a tragic finish. Shooting
is off. The Emperor's hobby has changed to gardening. The rabbits
become an easy prey to the swarms of rats that prowl about Longwood,
and soon disappear.

It is quite probable that Napoleon did have a fancy for shooting, but
it is well known he was never at any time a sportsman in the sense of
being a good shot--indeed, everything points to his having no taste
for what is ordinarily known as sport, and that he ever shot kids,
goats, or bullocks is highly improbable. That he occasionally went
shooting and got good sport in killing the rats and other vermin which
made Longwood an insufferable habitation to live in is quite true. It
is also quite true that Lowe became demented with fear in case the
shooting should have sanguinary and far-reaching effects. Hence the
foregoing communication to the law officers.

There is little doubt as to the use that was made of the ludicrous
inquiry by Lowe. It must have been handed over to the army of
loathsome libellers--men and women who were willing to do the dirtiest
of all work, that of writing and speaking lies (some abominable in
their character) of a defenceless man, in order that their
vindictiveness should be completely satisfied. Vast sums were
annually expended for no other purpose than to put their afflicted
prisoner through the torture of a living purgatory.

Napoleon did not heed thei