GRISSO AND HIS RAT

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What I remember:
Grisso somehow got a hold of a wharf rat and had it in a bird cage. He took it into the bar district and convinced a lady of the evening that the rat was a special educated rat worth a considerable sum. She decided that she wanted the rat and would trade for it with sexual favors. At the end of their encounter Grisso reneged on the deal and decided to keep the rat. I understand she was furious and gave him a black eye.
Grisso brought the rat back to the Phoebe and hung the cage from the pipes in our sleeping compartment. I woke up to someone trying to whistle like a bird at the cage. Doc Slacky told the one whistling to shut up for it was still to early to get up. I remember him saying to Slacky that some one has bought a bird. Slacky got up and looked in the cage and said " You idiot! That's no bird, that's a G-D rat!".
He grabbed the cage from the pipes and took it topside. I followed him with a couple of others to watch what was going to happen, Slacky went to the port side of the Phoebe and threw the cage and rat over the side. We watched as the rat tried to swim with the cage. The thing kept the cage afloat for several minutes before the weight was to much sinking to the bottom of the India basin.

Does anyone else remember this happening? Perhaps with a different light? I sure do Ken, Jim

Ken Couch

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