,transcriber's ,note3 ,every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible1 including some inconsistencies of hyphenation4 ,italic text has been marked with underscores4 ,,studies ,,in ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,rat-,,catching4 ,,by ,h4 ,c4 ,,barkley1 ,,author ,,of ,,my ,,boyhood1 ,,between ,,the ,,danube ,,and ,,the ,,black ,,sea1 ,,etc4 ,,popular ,,edition4 ,,london3 ,,john ,,murray1 ,,albemarle ,,street4 #ahif4 ,,london3 ,,printed ,,by ,,william ,,clowes ,,and ,,sons1 ,,limited1 ,,stamford ,,street ,,and ,,charing ,,cross4 ,,preface4 ,my publisher writes to say that he1 and he thinks others too1 would like to know how ,i ever came to write such a book as this6 ,it came about in this way4 ,some two years ago1 ,i was about to leave ,england for a considerable time1 and a few days before starting1 ,i went to stay in a country house1 full of lads and lassies1 to say good-bye4 ,one evening1 while sitting over the study fire1 the subject of rat-catching came up and1 as the aged are somewhat wont to do1 ,i babbled on about past days and various rat-catching experiences1 till one of the boys exclaimed1 ,i say1 what sport it would be if they would only teach rat-catching at school6 ,wouldn't ,i just work hard then1 that's all6 ,the stories came to an end at bed-time1 and ,i was then pressed by my hearers to write from foreign lands some more of my old reminiscences1 and ,i readily gave a promise to do so4 ,in this way most of the following stories were written2 and in writing them1 ,i endeavoured to carry out the idea that they were exercises to be used in schools4 ,i don't anticipate that head-masters will very generally adopt the book in their schools2 but ,i hope it may1 in some few instances1 give boys a taste for a wholesome country pastime4 ,the characters and incidents are rough1 very rough1 pen and ink sketches of real people and scenes1 and the dogs are all dear friends of past days4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,page ,the ,ferret ,family--,crossed with the ,polecat--,choosing ,ferrets--,hutches--,feeding ,ferrets--,bar the ,tail--,handling ,ferrets #h ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,bag versus ,box--,ferrets ,fighting--,the ,ratting ,spade-- ,ratting ,tools--,hints to ,schoolmasters--,learning ,dog-,language--,with a ,scold in the ,voice--,dogs' ,kennel--,treating ,dogs ,kindly--,dogs in their ,proper ,place #bc ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,aristocratic versus ,plutocratic--,come-by-,chance--,chance' s ,friend--,nondescript ,tinker--,grindum--,how ,i got ,grindum-- ,grindum's ,friends--,jack and his ,sister--,jack ,took ,me-- ,end of an ,ugly ,story--,grindum's ,first ,rat--,pepper and ,wasp #db ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,a ,day's ,ratting--,an ,autumn ,walk--,steady1 ,dogs1 ,steady--,a ,ferret ,disabled--,rats up a ,pollard--,a ,rat-catcher's ,picnic--,rats in a ,drain--,a ,weary ,walk ,home--,kennel1 ,dogs1 ,kennel #fg ,,chapter ,v4 ,a ,poor ,day's ,ratting--,a ,rat in a ,queer ,place--,rats in my ,lady's ,chamber--,rats in a ,house--,slaughter in a ,cellar--,dead ,rats in a ,house #he ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,a ,november ,day--,a ,laid-up ,ferret--,a ,tramp ,home in the ,wet--,a ,snug ,evening--,things ,students should ,know--,muzzling ,ferrets--,sucking ,blood--,a ,strange ,use for a ,dog's ,tail #if ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,rabbit ,catching--,tools for ,rabbit ,catching--,an ,easy ,day's ,rabbiting--,ferreting a ,bank--,a ,deep ,dig in the ,sand--,a ,day with the ,purse ,nets--,necessity of ,silence--,ferrets without ,muzzles--,how to ,kill ,rabbits #aac ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,trip to the ,seaside--,surveying the ,hunting ,ground--,a ,view from the ,cliffs--,a ,sea ,view--,the ,rector's ,daughter--,doctoring the ,burrows--,running out ,nets--,hie in1 ,good ,dogs #acj ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,the ,beginning of a ,storm--,a ,ship in ,distress--,the ,village ,harbour--,a ,fisherman's ,home--,little ,jack1 the ,cripple-- ,waiting for the ,boats--,a ,rough ,old ,fish-,wife--,the ,return of the ,fishermen #adg ,,chapter ,x4 ,the ,rector's ,story--,a ,ship in ,danger ,running ,straight on the ,rocks--,to the ,rescue--,watching the ,boat--,breaking up of the ,ship--,beyond the ,storms of ,life--,life in the ,little ,one-- ,nature's ,gifts--,what a ,hodge-,podge #afe ,,introduction4 ,,addressed ,,to ,,all ,,schoolboys4 ,ever since ,i was a boy1 and ah6 long1 long before that1 ,i fancy1 the one great anxiety of parents of the upper and middle classes blessed with large families has been1 ,what are we to do with our boys8 and the cry goes on increasing1 being intensified by the depreciation in the value of land1 and by our distant colonies getting a little overstocked with young gentlemen1 who have been banished to them by thousands1 to struggle and strive1 sink or swim1 as fate wills it4 ,at home1 all professions are full and everything has been tried2 and1 go where you will1 even the children of the noble may be found wrestling with those of the middle and working classes for every piece of bread that falls in the gutter4 ,nothing is infra dig4 that brings in a shilling1 and all has been and is being tried4 ,the sons of the great are to be found shoulder to shoulder with ,tommy ,atkins1 up behind a hansom cab1 keeping shops1 selling wines1 horses1 cigars1 coals1 and generally endeavouring feebly to shoulder the son of the working man out of the race over the ropes4 ,fortunately ,heaven tempers the wind to the shorn lamb1 and ,i believe it has done so now4 ,i believe kind ,dame ,nature during the last summer has stepped in and opened out an honourable path for many gentlemen's sons1 that ,i think will be their salvation1 and at all events1 if it does not make them all rich1 will1 if they only follow it1 make them most useful members of society and keep them out of mischief and out of their mammas' snug drawing-rooms4 ,i have followed the path myself1 and1 after fifty years' tramp down it1 have been forced to abandon it owing to gout and rheumatism4 ,i have not picked up a big fortune at it1 or become celebrated1 except quite locally2 but ,i have had a good time and helped the world in general1 and am content with my past life4 ,i was the son of a worthy country parson1 who in my youth proposed to me in turn to become a judge1 a bishop1 a general1 a ,gladstone1 a ,nelson1 a ,sir ,james ,paget1 and a ritualistic curate2 but when talking to me on the subject the good old man always said1 ,mind1 my boy1 though ,i propose these various positions for you1 yet1 if you have any decided preference yourself1 ,i will not thwart you1 ,i will not fly in the face of nature4 ,for some time ,i thought ,i should rather like to be a bishop1 and to this day ,i think ,i should have made a good one2 but the voice spoke at last1 and my destiny was settled4 ,with the modest capital of five shillings given me by my father1 and a mongrel terrier1 given me by a poacher who had to go into retirement for killing a pheasant and half killing a keeper1 ,i began my career as a--but ,i had better give you one of my professional cards4 ,here it is-- ,,bob ,,joy1 ,,rat-,,catcher ,to ,h4,r4,h4 ,the ,prince of ,wales1 ,the ,nobility and ,gentry4 ,i had a struggle at first4 ,rats1 full-grown ones1 only fetched twopence each1 and the system adopted by farmers of letting their rat-killing1 for1 say1 three pounds a year for a farm of #djj acres1 almost broke me2 but ,i stuck to my profession1 and do not regret having done so4 ,in those days1 and during all my active life1 ,i have had to work to live1 owing to the constant scarcity of rats2 but if ,i managed to make a living then1 what might not be done now1 when ,nature has sent the rat to our homesteads by thousands1 and farmers and others are being eaten off the face of the earth by them8 ,why1 my dear young friends1 your fortune stares you in the face1 and you have only to stretch out your hand and grasp it--no6 ,i have made a mistake3 you have a little more to do--you have1 first1 to learn your profession1 which is no easy matter2 and to enable you to do this1 ,i intend writing the following book for the use of schools 7which ,i herewith dedicate to the ,head ,masters of ,eton1 ,harrow1 ,westminster1 ,rugby1 and all other schools72 but in placing this book on your school-desk1 allow me to say that it is no good having it there through the long school hours unless you open it1 read it1 and deeply ponder over it2 and more1 my dear boys1 let me pray that you will take it home with you1 and1 casting aside your usual holiday task1 study it well1 and1 as far as possible1 actively put in practice what ,i am going to try and teach you4 ,some fathers may wish their sons to enter on a more humble course of life1 but this ,i rather doubt4 ,however1 should they do so1 it will be only so much the better for those who take it up3 there will be more room for them4 ,most mothers1 ,i fear1 will object to it on the ground that rats and ferrets don't smell nice2 but this objection is not reasonable4 ,they might as well say that the whiff of a fox on a soft ,december morning as you ride to covert is not delicious6 ,respect your parents1 respect even their prejudices2 gently point out to your father that you are ambitious and wish for a career in which you can distinguish yourself4 ,above all1 respect your mother1 and show your respect by not taking ferrets or dead rats in your pockets into her drawing-room1 and by washing your hands a little between fondling them and cuddling her4 ,but to finish this sermon1 let me point out that though in this great profession you will be everlastingly mixed up with dogs of all sorts1 always make them come to you1 and never go to them4 ,one last word4 ,if in the following pages you come across a bit of grammar or spelling calculated to make a ,head ,master sit up1 excuse it1 and remember that ,i have been a rat-catcher all my life1 and as a class we are not quite ,a#a at book learning4 ,illustration ,,studies ,,in ,,rat ,,catching ,,for ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,schools4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,in the following elementary treatise for the use of public schools1 ,i propose following exactly the same plan as my parson 7a good fellow not afraid of a ferret or a rat7 does with his sermons--that is1 divide it into different heads1 and then jumble up all the heads with the body1 till it becomes as difficult to follow as a rat's hole in a soft bank2 and1 to begin with1 ,i am going to talk about ferrets1 for without them rat-catching won't pay4 ,where ferrets first came from ,i am not sure1 but somewhere ,i have read that they were imported from ,morocco1 and that they are not natives of ,great ,britain any more than the ordinary rat is4 ,if they were imported1 then that importer ranks in my mind with1 but before1 ,christopher ,columbus and all such travellers4 ,anyhow it is quite clear that nowhere in ,great ,britain are there wild ferrets1 for they are as distinct from the stoat1 the mouse-hunter1 the pole-cat1 etc41 as ,i am from a ,red ,indian2 and yet all belong to the same family1 so much so that ,i have known of a marriage taking place between the ferret and pole-cat1 the offspring of which have again married ferrets and in their turn have multiplied and increased1 which is a proof that they are not mules1 for the children of mules1 either in birds or beasts1 do not have young ones4 ,there are two distinct colours in ferrets--one is a rich dark brown and tan1 and the other white with pink eyes2 and in my opinion one is just as good as the other for work1 though by preference ,i always keep the white ferret1 as it is sooner seen if it comes out of a hole and works away down a fence or ditch bottom4 ,i have never known a dark-coloured ferret coming among a litter of white ones or a white among the dark2 but there is a cross between the two which produces a grizzly beast1 generally bigger than its mother1 which ,i have for many years avoided1 though it is much thought of in some parts of the ,midlands4 ,i fancy 7though ,i may be wrong7 that the cross is a dull slow ferret1 wanting in dash and courage1 and not so friendly and affectionate as the others1 and therefore apt to stick with just its nose out of a hole so that you can't pick it up1 or else it will lay up and give a lot of trouble digging it out4 ,for rat-catching the female ferret should always be used1 as it is not half the size of the male1 and can therefore follow a rat faster and better in narrow holes2 in fact1 an ordinary female ferret should be able to follow a full-grown rat anywhere4 ,the male ferret should be kept entirely for rabbiting1 as he has not to follow down small holes1 and being stronger than the female can stand the rough knocking about he often gets from a rabbit better than his wife can4 ,in buying a ferret for work1 get one from nine to fifteen months old1 as young ferrets ,i find usually have more courage and dash than an old one4 ,they have not been so often punished and therefore do not think discretion the better part of valour4 ,however this will not be found to be an invariable rule4 ,i have known old ferrets that would have faced a lion and seemed to care nothing about being badly bitten2 whereas ,i have known a young ferret turn out good-for-nothing from having one sharp nip from a rat4 ,such beasts had better be parted with1 for a bad1 slow1 or cowardly ferret is vexation of spirit and not profitable4 ,if ,i am buying brown ferrets ,i always pick the darkest1 as ,i fancy they have most dash4 ,this may be only fancy1 or it may be the original ferret was white and that the brown is the cross between it and the polecat1 and that therefore the darker the ferret1 the more like it is in temper as well as colour to its big1 strong1 wild ancestor4 ,anyhow ,i buy the dark ones4 ,if ,i am buying female ferrets1 ,i like big long ones1 as a small ferret has not weight enough to tackle a big rat1 and therefore often gets desperately punished4 ,i like to see the ferrets in a tub1 end up1 looking well nourished and strong2 and directly ,i touch the tub ,i like to see them dash out of their hidden beds in the straw and rush to spring up the sides like a lot of furies4 ,when ,i put my hand in to take one1 ,i prefer not to be bitten2 but yet ,i have often known a ferret turn out very well that has begun by making its teeth meet through my finger4 ,when ,i have the ferret in hand1 ,i first look at its tail and then at its feet1 and if these are clean it will do4 ,if1 on the other hand1 ,i find a thin appearance about the hairs of its tail and a black-looking dust at the roots1 the ferret goes back into the tub2 or if the underside of the feet are black and the claws encrusted with dirt1 ,i will have nothing to say to it1 as it has the mange and will be troublesome to cure4 ,all this done1 ,i put the ferret on the ground and keep picking it up and letting it go2 if when ,i do this it sets up the hairs of its tail1 arches its back and hisses at me1 ,i may buy it2 but ,i know1 if ,i do1 ,i shall have to handle it much to get it tame4 ,if1 on the other hand1 when ,i play with it the ferret begins to dance sideways and play1 ,i pay down my money and take it at once1 for ,i have never known a playful ferret to prove a bad one4 ,if when you get the ferret it is wild and savage1 it should be constantly handled till it is quite tamed before it is used4 ,little brothers and sisters will be found useful at this4 ,give them the ferret to play with in an empty or nearly empty barn or shed where it cannot escape4 ,put into the shed with them some long drain pipes1 and tell them to ferret rats out of them4 ,the chances are they will put the ferret through them and pick it up so often1 that it will learn there is nothing to fear when it comes out of a real rat's hole1 and will ever after come to hand readily4 ,you had better not be in the way when the children return to their mother or nurse4 ,i have had disagreeable moments on such occasions4 ,having got all your ferrets1 the next question is how to keep them4 ,i have tried scores of different houses for them4 ,i have kept them in a big roomy shed1 in tubs1 in boxes1 and in pits in the ground2 but now ,i always use a box with three compartments4 ,the left-hand compartment should be the smallest and filled with wheat-straw well packed in1 with a small round hole a little way up the division1 for the ferrets to use as a door4 ,the middle compartment should be empty and have the floor and front made of wire netting1 to allow light1 ventilation and drainage4 ,the third compartment should be entered from the middle one by a hole in the division1 but should have a strong tin tray fitting over the floor of it covered with sand1 which can be drawn out and cleaned2 the front of this compartment1 too1 should be wire netting4 ,the sand tray should be removed and cleaned every day1 even ,sundays4 ,the house should stand on legs about a foot high4 ,each compartment should have a separate lid1 and the little entrance holes through the divisions should have a slide to shut them1 so that any one division can be opened without all the ferrets rushing out4 ,the bed should be changed once a week4 ,such a box as ,i have shown is large enough for ten ferrets4 ,for a mother with a family a much smaller box will suffice1 but it should be made on the same plan4 ,for bedding use only wheat-straw4 ,either barley-straw or hay will give ferrets mange in a few days4 ,after housing the ferrets1 they will require feeding4 ,i have always given my ferrets bread and milk once or twice a week1 which was placed in flat tins in the middle compartment2 but care should be taken to clean out the tins each time1 as any old sour milk in them will turn the fresh milk and make the ferrets ill4 ,the natural food of ferrets is flesh--the flesh of small animals--and therefore it should be the chief food given4 ,small birds1 rats and mice are to them dainty morsels1 but the ferrets will be sure to drag these into their beds to eat and will leave the skins untouched2 these should be removed each day4 ,when my ferrets are not in regular work they are fed just before sunset2 if they are fed in the morning they are no good for work all day1 and one can never tell 7except on ,sundays7 that one of the dogs may not find a rat that wants killing4 ,the day before real work1 ,i give the ferrets bread and milk in the morning1 and nothing on the day they go out until their work is over4 ,this makes them keen4 ,remember ferrets work hard in a big day's ratting1 and therefore should be well nourished and strong2 a ferret that is not will not have the courage to face a rat4 ,i have listened to all sorts of theories from old hands about feeding ferrets1 but have followed the advice of few4 ,for instance1 ,i have been told that if you give flesh1 such as rats and birds1 to a ferret that has young ones1 it will drag it into the straw among the little ones1 who will get the blood on them1 and then the mother will eat them by mistake4 ,all ,i can say is1 ,i have reared hundreds of young ferrets and have always given the mothers flesh4 ,it is true that ferrets will eat their young1 and the way to bring this about is to disturb the babies in the nest4 ,if you leave them quite alone till they begin to creep about ,i believe there is no danger4 ,then many old rat-catchers never give a ferret a rat with its tail on1 as they believe there is poison in it4 ,i remember one old fellow saying to me as he cut off the tail before putting the rat into the ferrets' box1 ,bar the tail--,i allus bars the tail--there's wenom in the tail4 ,there may be wenom in it2 but1 if there is1 it won't hurt the ferrets1 for they never eat it or the skin4 ,if ferrets are properly cared for they are rarely ill1 and the only trouble ,i have ever had is with mange1 which1 as ,i have said before1 attacks the tail and feet4 ,most rat-catchers keep a bottle of spirits of tar1 with which they dress the affected parts4 ,it cures the mange1 but1 by the way the poor little beasts hop about after being dressed1 ,i fear it stings dreadfully4 ,i have always used sulphur and lard1 and after rubbing it well in a few times ,i have always found it worked a cure4 ,the objection to sulphur and lard is that it does not hurt1 for ,i have noticed that sort of man generally prefers using a remedy that hurts a lot--that is1 where the patient is not himself1 but an animal4 ,no big day's ratting ever takes place without a ferret getting badly bitten4 ,when this is so1 the ferret should never be used again until it is quite well4 ,it should be sent home and put in a quiet box1 apart from the others1 and the bites gently touched with a little sweet oil from time to time2 or1 if it festers much1 it should be sponged with warm water4 ,i have often had ferrets die of their wounds1 and these have usually been the best ,i had4 ,again1 with wounds the old rat-catcher uses the tar-bottle1 chiefly1 ,i think1 because it hurts the ferret1 and therefore must have a power of wirtue4 ,before going further ,i should point out to all students of this ennobling profession that the very first thing they have to learn is to pick up a ferret4 ,don't grab it by its tail1 or hold it by its head as you would a mad bull-dog2 but take hold of it lightly round the shoulders1 with its front legs falling gracefully out below from between your fingers4 ,then when you go to the box for your ferrets1 and they come clambering up the side like a pack of hungry wolves1 put your hand straight in among them without a glove1 and pick up which one you require4 ,don't hesitate a moment4 ,don't dangle your hand over their heads till you can make a dash and catch one4 ,the ferrets will only think your hand is their supper coming and will grab it1 with no ill intent2 but if you put it down steadily and slowly1 they will soon learn you only do so to take them out1 and your hand will become as welcome to them as flowers in spring4 ,true1 at first1 with strange ferrets you may be bitten2 but it is not a very serious thing if you are1 as ferrets' bites are never venomous1 as the bites of rats often are4 ,i have in my time been bitten by ferrets many dozens of times and have never suffered any ill effects4 ,there1 ,i think that is enough for your first lesson1 so ,i will send it off at once and get it printed for you4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,the first chapter of this lesson-book has gone to the printer1 so ,i don't quite know what ,i said in it1 but ,i think we had finished the home-life of the ferret and were just taking it out of its box4 ,different professors have different opinions as to what is next to be done with it4 ,many 7and they are good men too7 think you should put it into a box about eighteen inches long1 ten inches high1 and ten wide2 the box to be divided into two compartments1 with a lid to each1 and with leather loops to these lids through which to thrust a pointed spade so as to carry it on your shoulder4 ,i have tried this plan1 but ,i have never quite liked it4 ,i have found that after a heavy day's work the box was apt to get heavy and feel as if it were a grandfather's clock hanging on your back4 ,then the ratting spade was engaged instead of being free to mump a rat on the head in a hurry1 or point out a likely hole to the dogs4 ,when a ferret was wanted1 all the others would dash out and have to be hunted about to be re-caught4 ,now and then the lids came open and let all out2 and now and then ,i let the box slip off the spade and fall to the ground1 and then ,i felt sorry for the ferrets inside it6 ,no1 ,i have always carried my ferrets in a good strong canvas bag1 with a little clean straw at the bottom1 and a leather strap and buckle stitched on to it with which to close it4 ,don't tie the bag with a piece of string--it is sure to get lost2 and don't have a stiff buckle on your strap that takes ten minutes to undo4 ,remember the life of a rat may depend upon your getting your ferret out quickly4 ,never throw the bag of ferrets down2 lay them down gently4 ,don't leave the bag on the ground in a broiling sun with some of the ferrets in it while you are using the others1 or in a cold draughty place on a cold day2 find a snug corner for them1 if you can1 and cover them up with a little straw or grass to keep them warm4 ,if1 when carrying your ferrets1 they chatter in the bag1 let them2 it is only singing1 not fighting4 ,i have never known a ferret hurt another in a bag4 ,always bag your ferret as soon as you have done with it2 don't drag it about in your hand for half an hour1 and don't put it in your pocket1 as it will make your coat smell4 ,when ,i have done work and turned towards home1 ,i have made it a rule always to put a dead rat into the bag1 as ,i think it amuses the ferrets and breaks the monotony of a long journey2 just as when ,i run down home ,i like taking a snack at ,swindon ,station1 just to divert my mind from the racketing of the train and the thought of the hard seat4 ,when you get home1 give the ferrets a rat for every two of them1 if you can afford it1 for then they need only eat the best joints4 ,if you have not many dead rats and want to save some for the morrow1 one rat for three ferrets is enough for twenty-four hours2 but don't forget to give them water or milk4 ,i think ,i have said enough as to the management of ferrets1 and will go on to speak of the necessary tools4 ,the chief thing is a good ratting spade4 ,what the musket is to the soldier1 the spade is to the rat-catcher4 ,you may get on without it1 but you won't do much killing4 ,i have tried many shapes1 but the one ,i like best is on the pattern of the above drawing4 ,it should not be too heavy1 but yet strong2 and1 therefore1 the handle should be made of a good piece of ash1 and the other parts of the best tempered steel1 and the edge should be sharp enough to cut quickly through a thick root4 ,the spike should be sharp1 so as easily to enter the ground and feel for a lost hole4 ,this will constantly save a long dig and much time2 besides1 one can often bolt a rat by a few well-directed prods in a soft bank--not that ,i approve of this1 as there may be more than one rat in the hole1 and by prodding out one you are contented to leave others behind4 ,no1 ,i think the ferret should go down every hole challenged by the dogs1 as then you are pretty sure of making a clean job of it4 ,besides the spade1 ,i have always kept a few trap boxes4 ,these are to catch a ferret should one lay up and have to be left behind4 ,i bait them with a piece of rat and place them at the mouth of the hole1 and it is rare ,i don't find the ferret in it in the morning4 ,i also take one of these traps with me if ,i am going where rats are very numerous2 then1 if a ferret stops too long in a hole1 ,i stick the mouth of the trap over the hole and pack it round with earth and stop up all the bolt holes1 and then go on working with the other ferrets4 ,when the sluggard is at last tired of the hole1 it walks into the trap1 shoving up the wire swing door1 which falls down behind it1 and there it has to stop till you fetch it4 ,if ,i am going to ferret wheat stacks where rats have worked strong1 ,i take with me half a dozen pieces of thin board about a foot long4 ,i do so for this reason4 ,the first thing rats do when they take possession of a stack is to make a good path1 or run1 all round it just under the eaves2 and when disturbed by ferrets1 they get into this run and keep running away round and round the stack without coming to the ground4 ,therefore1 before putting in the ferrets1 ,i take a ladder1 and going round the eaves of the stack ,i stick the boards in so as to cut off these runs1 and when a rat goes off for a gallop he comes to no thoroughfare1 and feeling sure the ferret is after him1 he in desperation comes to the ground1 and then the dogs can have a chance4 ,i once killed twenty-eight rats out of a big stack in twenty minutes after the ferrets were put in1 all thanks to these stop-boards2 and though ,i ran the ferrets through and through the stack afterwards1 ,i did not start another1 and so ,i believe ,i had got the lot4 ,i think ,i have enumerated all the tools required for rat-catching4 ,i need not mention a knife and a piece of string1 as all honest men have them in their pocket always1 even on ,sundays4 ,some rat-catchers take with them thick leather gloves to save their getting bitten by a rat or a ferret2 but ,i despise such effeminate ways1 and ,i consider he does not know his profession if he cannot catch either ferret or rat with his naked hands4 ,i must now turn to the subject of dogs--one far more important than either ferrets or tools1 and one so large that if ,i went on writing and writing to the end of my days ,i should not get to the end of it1 and so shall only make a few notes upon it as a slight guide to the student1 leaving him to follow it up and work it out for himself2 but in so doing ,i beg to say that his future success as a rat-catcher will depend on his mastering the subject4 ,but1 before proceeding further1 ,i am anxious to say a few words in parenthesis for the benefit of the ,head ,masters of our schools4 ,admirable as their academies are for turning out ,greek and ,latin scholars1 ,i cannot help thinking a proper provision is seldom made in their establishments for acquiring a real working knowledge of the profession of a rat-catcher2 and ,i wish to suggest that it would be as well to insist on all those students who wish to take up this subject keeping at school at least one good dog and a ferret1 and that two afternoons a week should be set apart entirely for field practice1 and that the cost of this should be jotted down at the end of each term in the little school account that is sent home to the students' parents4 ,i know most high-spirited boys will object to this and call it a fresh tyranny1 and ever after hate me for proposing it2 but ,i do it under a deep sense of duty1 being convinced that it is far better they should perfectly master the rudimentary knowledge of such an honest profession as that of rat-catcher1 than that they should drift on through their school life with no definite future marked out1 finally to become perhaps such scourges of society as ,m4,p4s who make speeches when ,parliament is not sitting4 ,judging from the columns of the newspapers1 there must be many thousands who come to this most deplorable end2 and if ,i can only turn one from such a vicious course1 ,i shall feel ,i have benefitted mankind even more than by killing rats and other vermin4 ,now ,i must return to the subject of dogs1 and in doing so ,i will first begin on their masters1 for to make a good dog1 a good master is also absolutely necessary4 ,anybody that has thought about it knows that as is the master1 so is the dog4 ,a quiet man has a quiet dog1 a quarrelsome man a quarrelsome dog1 a bright quick man a bright quick dog1 and a loafing idle ruffian a slinking slothful cur4 ,first of all1 then1 the dog's master must understand dog talk2 for they do talk1 and eloquently too1 with their tongues1 their ears1 their eyes1 their legs1 their tail1 and even with the hairs on their backs2 and therefore don't be astonished if you find me saying in the following pages1 ,pepper told me this1 or ,wasp said so-and-so4 ,why1 ,i was once told by a bull terrier that a country policeman was a thief1 and1 acting on information received1 ,i got the man locked up in prison for three months1 and it just served him right4 ,having learnt dog language1 use it to your dog in a reasonable way3 talk to him as a friend1 tell him the news of the day1 of your hopes and fears1 your likes and dislikes1 but above all use talk always in the place of a whip4 ,for instance1 when breaking in a young dog not to kill a ferret1 take hold of the dog with a short line1 put the ferret on the ground in front of him1 and when he makes a dash at it say1 ,what are you up to8 ,war ferret6 ,why1 ,i gave four and sixpence for that1 you fool1 and now you want to kill it6 ,look here 7picking the ferret up and fondling it71 this is one of my friends4 ,smell it 7putting it near his nose74 ,different from a rat1 eh8 ,rather sweet1 ain't it8 ,war ferret1 war ferret6 ,would you1 you rascal8 ,ain't you ashamed of yourself8 ,war ferret1 war ferret6 ,repeat this a few times for two or three days1 and when you first begin working the dog and he is excitedly watching for a rat to bolt1 just say ,war ferret to him1 and he will be sure to understand4 ,should he1 however1 in his excitement make a dash at a ferret1 shout at him to stop1 and then1 picking up the ferret1 rub it over his face1 all the time scolding him well for what he has done2 but don't hit him1 and probably he will never look at a ferret again4 ,in my opinion there is nothing like a thrashing to spoil a dog or a boy2 reason with them and talk to them1 and if they are worth keeping they will understand and obey4 ,mind1 a dog must always obey1 and obey at the first order4 ,always give an order in a decided voice as if you meant it1 and never overlook the slightest disobedience4 ,one short whistle should always be enough4 ,if the dog does not obey1 call him up and1 repeating the whistle1 scold him with a scold in your voice4 ,don't shout or bawl at him for all the country to hear and the rats too1 but just make your words sting4 ,if he repeats his offence1 put a line and collar on him and lead him for half an hour1 telling him all the time why you do so1 and he will be so ashamed of himself that the chances are he will obey you ever after4 ,put yourself in the dog's place4 ,fancy if1 when you have kicked a bit over the traces at school1 the head-master1 instead of thrashing you1 made you walk up and down the playground or cricket-field with him for half an hour2 but no1 that would be too awful2 it would border on brutality6 ,but you would not forget it in a hurry4 ,we humans often behave well and do good1 not because it is our duty so to do1 but for what the world will say and for the praise we may get4 ,dogs are not in all things superior to humans1 and in this matter of praise ,i fear they are even inferior to us4 ,they most dearly love praise1 and a good dog should always get it for any and every little service he renders to man4 ,remember1 he is the only living thing that takes a pleasure in working for man1 and his sole reward is man's approbation4 ,give it him1 then1 and give it him hot and warm when he deserves it1 and he will be willing to do anything for you and will spend his life worshipping you and working for you2 for better1 for worse1 for richer1 for poorer1 he is yours1 with no sneaking thoughts of a divorce court in the background4 ,there is another thing a master should always do for his dog himself and do it with reason4 ,see to his comfort2 see that he has good food and water and is comfortably lodged4 ,don't let him be tied up to a hateful kennel in a back yard1 baked by the sun in summer and nearly frozen in winter2 often without water1 and with food thrown into a dish that is already half full of sour and dirty remains of yesterday's dinner4 ,this is not reasonable and is cruel4 ,when he is not with you1 shut him up in a kennel1 big or little1 made as nearly as you can have it on the model of a kennel for hounds4 ,let it be cool and airy in summer and snug and warm in winter2 keep all clean--kennel1 food1 dishes1 water and beds4 ,don't forget that different dogs have different requirements2 for instance1 that a long thick coated dog will sleep with comfort out in the snow1 while a short-coated one will shiver in a thick bed of straw4 ,picture to yourself1 as you tuck the warm blankets round you on a cold winters night1 what your thin-coated pointer is undergoing in a draughty kennel on a bare plank bed1 chained up to a misery trap in the back yard1 which is half full of drifted snow4 ,think of it1 and get up and put the dog in a spare loose box in the stable for the night1 and have a proper kennel made for him in the morning4 ,i once had a favourite dog named ,rough that died of distemper4 ,a small child asked me a few days afterwards if dogs when they died went to heaven1 and ,i1 not knowing better1 answered1 ,yes2 and the child said1 ,won't ,rough wag his old tail when he sees me come in8 ,when you come in ,i hope there will be all your departed dogs wagging their tails to meet you4 ,it will depend upon how you have treated them here2 but take my word for it1 my friend1 you will never be allowed to pass that door if the dogs bark and growl at you4 ,don't suppose ,i am a sentimental fat pug on a string sort of man4 ,next to humans ,i like dogs best of all creatures4 ,why1 ,i have made my living by their killing rats for me at twopence per rat and three pound a farm1 and ,i am grateful3 but ,i like dogs in their proper place4 ,for instance1 as a rule1 ,i dislike a dog in the house4 ,the house was meant for man and should be kept for him4 ,i think when a man goes indoors his dog should be shut up in the kennel and not be allowed to wander about doing mischief1 eating trash1 learning to loaf1 and under no discipline4 ,now and then ,i do allow an old dog that has done a life's hard work to roam about as he likes1 and even walk into my study 7,i mean kitchen7 and sit before the fire and chat with me2 but1 then1 such dogs have established characters1 and nothing can spoil them2 besides1 they are wise beasts with a vast experience1 and ,i can learn a lot from them4 ,it was from one of these ,i learnt all about the prigging policeman4 ,a young dog is never good for much who is allowed to run wild2 every one is his master and he obeys no one1 and when he is taken out he is dull and stupid1 thinking more of the kitchen scraps than of business4 ,no1 when ,i go to work1 ,i like to let the dogs out myself1 to see them dash about1 dance around1 jump up at me and bark with joy4 ,i like to see the young ones topple each other over in sport1 and the old ones gallop on ahead to the four crossways1 and stand there watching to see which way ,i am going1 and then1 when ,i give them the direction with a wave of the hand1 bolt off down the road with a wriggle of content4 ,you might trust your life to dogs in such a joyful temper1 for they would be sure to stand by you4 ,thank you1 young gentlemen2 that is enough for this morning's lesson4 ,you may now amuse yourselves with your ,ovid or ,euclid4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,i am a working man1 or rather have been till ,i got the rheumatics1 and as such ,i naturally stick to my own class and prefer associating with those of my own sort1 and therefore ,i always keep working dogs4 ,i have often bred aristocratic dogs1 dogs descended from great prize-winners and with long pedigrees1 and among them ,i have had some good ones1 honest and true2 but as a rule ,i must say my experience proves that the shorter the pedigree the better the dog1 and now if ,i could get them ,i should like to keep dogs that never had a father4 ,some people ,i know call me a cad1 a clod1 a chaw-bacon1 etc41 and they call my dogs curs and mongrels4 ,such men talk nonsense and should be kept specially to make speeches during the recess4 ,i don't care to defend myself but ,i must stand up for my dogs against all comers2 and ,i assert boldly that1 nine times out of ten1 a dog with no pedigree is worth two with a long one4 ,when ,i get a new dog ,i never ask who he is1 or who his father was1 but ,i go by his looks and his performances4 ,there are dogs like men in all classes1 who have either a mean1 spiteful1 vicious look1 or a dull1 heavy1 dead one2 such ,i avoid both in dog and man1 for ,i find they are not worth knowing4 ,any other dog will do for me1 and even now1 though ,i don't often go ratting1 ,i have as good a lot as ever stood at a hole1 and ,i don't think ,i can do better than describe them as a guide to students when they come to getting a kennel together4 ,first of all1 ,i never give a lot of money for a dog--how can ,i with rats at twopence each8--but1 if ,i can1 ,i drop on a likely-looking young one about a year old who was going to be put away on account of the tax4 ,i got the oldest ,i have now in the kennel in this way4 ,it followed ,george ,adams1 the carrier1 home one night1 and to this day has never been claimed2 and when the tax-collector spoke to him about it1 he offered it to me1 and ,i took it and gave it the name of ,come-by-chance1 but in the family and among friends she is now called ,chance4 ,if ,chance is of any family ,i should think her mother was a setter and her father a bob-tail sheep-dog2 but1 then1 ,i can't make out where she got her legs6 ,she is red and white1 with a perfect setter's head4 ,she has the hind parts of a sheep-dog and evidently never had a tail2 and her legs1 which are very thick1 would be short for a big terrier4 ,such are her looks1 which certainly are not much to speak of2 but if ,i had the pen of a ,sir ,walter ,scott ,i could not do credit to the perfection of her character4 ,for seven years she has been the support of my business1 and ,i can safely say she has caused the death of more rats than all my other dogs put together4 ,i say caused1 for she is slow at killing and leaves this matter of detail to younger hands4 ,if another dog is not near she will catch a rat and even kill it2 but she has a soft mouth1 and all the other dogs1 except quite the youngest1 know this1 and1 against the rule1 will always dash in when she has a rat in her mouth and take it from her1 and she gives it up without a struggle4 ,no1 her forte is to find a rat4 ,she is always in and out1 up the bank1 through the hedge1 down the bank2 not a tuft of grass escapes her1 and she would hunt down each side of ,regent ,street and in and out of the carriages if she found herself there4 ,she lives hunting4 ,nothing ever escapes her2 one sniff at the deepest and most turn-about hole is enough4 ,if the rat is not in1 on she goes in a minute2 but should it be ensconced deep down in the furthest corner1 she stops at once and just turns her head round and says quietly to me1 ,here's one4 ,then1 whilst ,i am getting out a ferret1 over the bank she goes1 in and out the hedge in all directions1 and never fails to find and mark every bolt-hole for the other dogs to stand at that belongs to the one where the rat is4 ,as soon as ,i begin to put in the ferret1 she will come over the hedge1 give herself a shake1 and sit down and watch the proceedings1 not offering to take a part herself1 as she feels there are more able dogs ready1 and that this is not her strong point4 ,suppose a rat bolts and is killed and the ferret comes out1 ,chance will never leave the hole till she has taken a sniff at it to make sure all the rats have been cleared out4 ,i have never known her make a mistake4 ,if she says there is a rat in1 there is one without any doubt2 if she says there is not1 it is no good running a ferret through the hole4 ,should ,i be alone1 with no one to look out for the ferret when it comes out on the other side of a bank1 ,chance without a word being said to her will get over and look out1 and directly the ferret appears will come back to me and give a wriggle1 looking in the direction of the ferret1 and then ,i know ,i must get over and pick it up4 ,she has one peculiarity4 ,when she followed ,george ,adams home1 seven years ago1 she was shy and scared2 but1 as it was a cold night1 ,george1 being a kind-hearted fellow1 invited her to step indoors1 an invitation she accepted in a frightened sort of way4 ,on the hearth sat a little girl of three years old1 eating her supper1 and ,chance1 doubtless feeling very hungry1 came and sat down in front of her and watched her with a wistful look4 ,the child was not afraid and soon began feeding the dog1 who took the pieces of food most gently from her fingers4 ,when the child was taken up to bed1 ,chance secretly followed1 and getting under the crib slept there all night4 ,only once since then has ,chance failed to sleep in that same place1 and that was the first night ,i had her4 ,she was shut up in the kennel and never stopped barking all night4 ,since then she has always followed me home1 eaten her supper at the kitchen door1 and then gone off to her bed under the crib4 ,early in the morning she is again at my door and never goes near ,george's house till bed-time4 ,if ,chance has no tail1 the next dog on the list1 ,tinker1 makes up the average4 ,he is a little black1 hard-coated dog1 with the head of a greyhound and tail of a foxhound4 ,his head is nearly as long as his body1 and his tail is just a little longer4 ,in all ways he is a proficient at rat-catching1 except that he has been known to mark a hole where there was no rat2 but his strong point is killing4 ,he will stand well back from a hole1 and it does not matter how many rats bolt1 or how fast1 each gets one snap and is dead and dropped without ,tinker having moved a foot4 ,i named him ,tinker1 for a tinker gave him to me cos he warn't no sort of waller4 ,then on my list next comes ,grindum1 a mongrel bull-terrier1 just the tenderest hearted1 mildest dispositioned dog that ever killed a rat4 ,he has but a poor nose and is not clever1 but he has one strong point1 which he developed for himself without being taught4 ,it is this3 when ,i am ferreting a thick hairy bank with a big ditch1 ,grindum always goes some ten yards off and places himself in the ditch1 and1 let the excitement be what it will1 he never moves2 and should a rat in the thick grass escape the other dogs and bolt down the ditch1 it is a miracle if it does not die when it reaches him4 ,i have better and cleverer dogs1 ,i know2 but ,i think ,grindum brings in as many twopences as any of them1 and we are not going to part6 ,the way ,i got ,grindum is quite a little history1 and ,i will tell it1 though if you boys like1 you can skip it and go on with a more serious part of your lesson4 ,not far from where ,i lived there was1 in a most out-of-the-way corner on a common1 an old sand-pit1 and in this a miserable dilapidated cottage1 consisting of two rooms4 ,this for some years had been empty1 but one fine morning was discovered to be inhabited by a man1 his wife and two children--a boy of twelve and a girl of seven--and a bull-terrier4 ,no one knew anything about them or where they had come from1 and when the landlord of the hut went to eject them1 he found them in such a miserable half-starved condition that he left them alone4 ,our parson called on them three times--the first time the wife told him they did not like strangers and parsons in particular2 the second time the husband told him to clear out sharp1 or he would do him a mischief2 and the third time the man took up a knife and began sharpening it1 preparatory1 he said1 to cutting the parson's throat6 ,two months after this the man1 after sitting drinking in the village pot-house all the morning1 stepped round to an old mid-wife and asked her to come and lay his wife out4 ,the woman went and did her work and said nothing at the time1 but later on it was whispered about that she had told some of her pals that the poor crittur was black and blue1 and that it was on her mind that the husband had murdered her6 ,after this1 as ,i passed the cottage1 ,i often saw the two children sitting on a log of wood outside1 with the bull-dog sitting between them4 ,none of the three ever moved out2 all blinked their eyes at me as ,i passed1 as if they were unaccustomed to the sight of a fellow-creature4 ,two or three months passed1 during which the man was constantly drinking at the village public-house2 but he always left at sundown--to look after the kids1 he said4 ,then there was a poaching fray on a nobleman's estate near4 ,six keepers came on five poachers one moonlight night4 ,there was a hard fight1 and at last the keepers took two of the men and the other three bolted1 but one was recognized as the man from the sand-pit and was wanted by the police4 ,a few nights after this ,i was walking down a lane in the dark near my house1 when the sand-pit man stepped out of the hedge1 leading his dog by a cord1 and turning to me said1 ,here1 master1 if you want a good dog1 here is one for you2 ,i am off to give myself up to the police1 and ,i am going to turn queen's evidence against my pals4 ,i replied that ,i did not want such a dog1 so he said1 ,all right1 then ,i'll cut his throat1 and then and there prepared to do so4 ,this was more than ,i could stand1 so ,i took the cord and led the dog away1 but before doing so1 ,i asked1 ,how about your children8 ,he gave a short laugh1 and said1 ,they would be properly provided for4 ,it afterwards turned out that soon after leaving me he walked straight into the arms of two policemen1 who saved him the trouble of giving himself up by taking him into custody4 ,i led my new dog home and tied him up in the corner of an open wood-shed1 giving him a bundle of straw and a dish of bones1 and by the starved look of him ,i should say this was the biggest meal he had ever had in his life4 ,i sat up late that night reading1 and all the time in a remote corner of my mind the sand-pit man1 the two children and the dog kept turning about1 till at last1 about midnight or later1 ,i thought ,i would go to bed2 but before doing so ,i made up my mind that ,i would see if my new dog was all right4 ,i lit a lantern and stepped out of the door and found it was blowing and snowing and biting cold4 ,mercifully ,i persevered and reached the wood-shed1 and what ,i saw there by the light of my lantern did startle me4 ,there was the bull-dog sure enough lying curled up in the straw blinking hard at me1 but--could ,i believe my eyes8--there lying with him1 with their arms entwined round each other and round the dog1 were the two children from the sand-pit fast asleep1 but looking so pale and pinched ,i thought they must be dead4 ,i will give place to no man living at rat-catching and minding dogs1 but here was a pretty mess1 for ,i am no good with little children2 so putting down my lantern1 ,i hurried back to the house and got two rugs and with them wrapped the children and dog up snugly4 ,then ,i went in and woke up my wife1 who had already gone to bed1 and called some other women who were in the house1 and after telling them what ,i had found1 ,i made up a big fire in the kitchen and put on some water to boil4 ,in a very few minutes my wife was downstairs and battling her way with me off to the wood-shed4 ,i untied the dog and moved him away from the children4 ,this woke them both1 and they sat up and rubbed their eyes1 and the poor boy appeared almost scared to death1 but the little girl was quite quiet1 and only watched his face with a sad careworn old look which ,i pray ,i may never see on a child's face again4 ,my wife is really smart with little children1 and in half no time she was on her knees crooning over them1 and soon she had the girl in her arms2 but when ,i attempted to pick up the boy he only screamed and struggled1 and kept calling out1 ,grindum1 ,grindum6 ,i won't leave ,grindum4 ,i shall be killed if ,i leave ,grindum4 ,let me stay with ,grindum4 ,i assured him he should not be separated from ,grindum never no more1 and at last ,i partially quieted him1 and he allowed me to carry him into the kitchen and place him on a stool in front of the fire with his sister1 while his beloved ,grindum sat by his side blinking as if nothing unusual had taken place1 and as if he had done the same each night for the last three months and felt a little bored by it4 ,the first thing to be done1 my wife said1 was to feed the children1 and while she and the other women busied about getting it ready1 ,i sat and watched them4 ,both were remarkably pretty2 both dark1 with finely cut features1 big eyes and thick soft black hair2 but yet in different ways both had something sad about them4 ,the boy never sat still for a moment1 but kept glancing fearfully at me1 then at the women1 and then at the door1 as if he expected something dreadful to happen1 and all the time kept grasping the arm of his little sister with one hand as if for protection1 and clinging to the soft skin of ,grindum's neck with the other4 ,if he caught my eye1 or if ,i spoke to him1 he flinched as if ,i had struck him1 and turned livid and tugged so hard at ,grindum's skin that the poor dog's eyes were pulled into mere slits1 through which ,i could see he yet went on blinking at the fire4 ,the girl sat half turned round to the boy and never took her eyes off his face1 looking the very essence of womanly pity and love4 ,now and then when he suffered from a paroxysm of fear1 she would softly stroke his face1 which appeared to soothe him instantly2 but nothing she could do could ever stop the wild restless look in his eyes or prevent his glancing about as if watching for some dreadful apparition4 ,it was a sad1 sad picture1 made doubly striking by the utter stolidity and indifference of that awful dog1 ,grindum4 ,soon hot basins of bread and milk were prepared1 which both children eat ravenously1 and then they were put into steaming hot baths1 washed1 dried1 combed1 and wrapped in blankets2 but when we attempted to take them up to the nice warm beds that had been prepared for them1 there was the same wild terrified cry from the boy for ,grindum2 and to pacify him the dog had to be taken upstairs with them1 and half an hour later1 when my wife and ,i peeped into the room1 we saw the two children locked in each other's arms fast asleep1 with ,grindum curled up on the bed next to the boy1 yet blinking horribly1 but perfectly composed and making himself at home4 ,how those two children found their way that night through a blinding snow-storm to their only living friend1 the dear blinking ,grindum1 ,i never could find out4 ,all ,i could ever get from the boy was1 ,oh1 ,i always go where ,grindum goes6 and the little girl could only say1 ,jack took me4 ,my wife says angels guided them4 ,maybe she's right1 but ,i hardly think angels would be likely to go about on such a night2 still my wife went out in the snow and wind to the shed and got out of her snug bed to do it1 but then she put on a pea jacket and clogs1 and that makes a difference4 ,this is a tiring long story to write1 and ,i have not quite done it yet1 for ,i must finish with the sand-pit man4 ,he was tried1 convicted and got three years4 ,a year after he had been in prison he tried to escape by getting over a high wall1 but in doing so he fell from the top and broke his back4 ,he lingered some days and seemed to find a pleasure in telling the prison parson of all his misdeeds and in boasting of them4 ,there was a long list1 but only the last part of his story will serve for the use of schools4 ,it appears from what he said that1 after he had given me the dog1 he had intended to steal back to his house and take the two children to a deep pond and there drown them4 ,then1 free from family ties1 he hoped to get away and ship himself off to ,america4 ,he also said that in a fit of rage he had thrashed his wife to death with his fists1 and that his boy from having seen him do it had gone mad with fear1 and was so bad1 especially at night1 that if he had not got a bull-dog sleeping with him as a sort of friend1 he would go into a fit with fear and was often unconscious for hours4 ,it was an ugly story1 and ,i am glad to say with the death of the sand-pit man the miserable part of the children's life ended4 ,the girl is now twelve years old and has never left us4 ,she is as sharp as a needle and as honest as old ,chance and as good4 ,she is having a good education1 thanks to our ,rector's wife1 and could if need be earn her own livelihood1 but we are not going ever to part with her4 ,the boy ,jack was a great trouble to us at first4 ,for months he would not be parted for a moment1 day or night1 from ,grindum1 and the dog actually had to go to school with him2 but the master utterly failed to teach the boy even as far as ,a ,b ,c in his alphabet1 and the dog not to blink2 and so1 one fine day1 ,i had both returned on my hands as hopeless ignoramuses4 ,i could not keep a blinking dog at home in idleness1 so ,i took him with me ratting1 and as ,jack would not be parted from the dog1 he had to come too4 ,everyone says the boy is cracked4 ,he is queer1 ,i will allow1 but if you will find me a better hand at rat-catching in all its branches1 ,i should like to look at him2 and besides1 if ,jack is cracked1 then ,i like cracked boys1 for ,i never came across one more obedient1 more truthful1 or more steady1 and ,i find him a perfect treasure on the other side of the bank at the bolt holes4 ,jack never mentions the past1 and ,i should be inclined to think he had forgotten it1 only if he is parted from ,grindum for a short time he becomes wild looking about the eyes again and restless4 ,at such times his sister1 who mothers him much1 will sit by him and stroke his face softly1 when he will quickly recover himself4 ,i don't know what will happen when ,grindum blinks his last1 but the boy begins to follow me about and seems to cling to me1 and by that time ,i hope ,i shall be so well liked by him that ,i may take ,grindum's place4 ,just two words more about ,grindum and ,i have done4 ,one is that the first time ,grindum caught a rat1 he picked it up by its hind leg1 and the rat made its teeth meet through his nose4 ,he softly put the rat down and it escaped1 and ,i made my sides ache and greatly astonished all the other dogs by laughing at this great soft beast as he sat on his haunches licking the blood as it trickled from his nose1 and staring up into the sky with a far-off vacant look1 blinking worse than ever4 ,the other word is this4 ,though ,grindum is a bull-dog with an awful ,crush your bones1 tear your flesh look1 he is just the gentlest-hearted beast out1 and there is not a puppy in the kennel1 nor a child in the village1 who does not know this and impose on him shamefully4 ,only last ,sunday ,i had to stop a small child of five from driving off in a four-wheeled cart1 using ,grindum as a horse4 ,once1 and once only1 ,grindum showed his temper4 ,a big lout in the village threw a stone at him4 ,grindum only blinked1 but ,jack saw it and hit the lout1 who being twice ,jack's size turned upon him and knocked him down4 ,in half a minute ,grindum's teeth had met three times in the lout's calves and his trousers required reseating1 and in three-quarters of a minute ,grindum was sitting down with a bland expression of countenance1 blinking with both eyes at the sky4 ,now to continue my lesson on ratting dogs4 ,i have two others1 ,pepper and ,wasp--one a badly bred spaniel1 and the other a terrier of doubtful parentage4 ,they are both nice cheerful young dogs that it is a pleasure to see either at play or work1 but they are yet young and too apt to get excited and wild4 ,they will1 when a rat is out of his hole1 in a hedge1 dash up and down the entire length of the field1 making enormous jumps in the air1 during which time they listen keenly for the rustle of the rat in the grass2 and once1 but only once1 ,pepper gave a yap when so rushing about1 but ,i spoke to him so severely about this disgustingly low habit that he has never done it again4 ,wasp is specially good at water1 and ,i have taught him to come to me directly a rat is bolted with a plunge into a pond1 and ,i carry her high up in my arms round the pond1 and when the rat approaches the side1 ,wasp from her high vantage ground will dive down upon it and have it in an instant4 ,both dogs are quick killers and will1 ,i am sure1 in time be perfect2 but as yet ,i do not think myself justified in putting them into a higher class with such dogs as ,chance and ,tinker4 ,there6 that is all for to-day1 young gentlemen4 ,resume your ,cicero1 and1 while you are preparing it1 ,i will go to my room and look over the impositions ,i set you yesterday4 ,it is understood that for look over impositions we may read1 ,smoke cavendish in a short black pipe4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,what do you say1 boys8 ,shall we drop this and have a day's outdoor practice8 ,to tell the truth1 ,i don't think much of book-learning1 especially if the book is written by myself2 but ,i do believe in practice4 ,come along6 ,it is the middle of ,october--just the nicest time of the year and the very best for ratting1 for the vermin are yet out in the hedges1 fine and strong from feeding in the corn1 and with few young ones about4 ,come1 ,jack1 we'll get the ferrets first2 and off ,i go with the boy to the hutch1 while the dogs in the kennel1 having heard our steps and perfectly understanding what is up1 bark and yap at the door1 jump over each other1 tumble and topple about like mad fiends4 ,before ,i get to the box ,i hear the ferrets jumping up at the sides1 and when ,i open the lid half a dozen are out in a moment1 and these ,i bag as a reward for their activity4 ,i throw the others a rat to console them for being left at home1 and1 giving the ferrets to ,jack1 ,i strap on a big game bag1 take up my spade1 return and let the dogs out1 and off we start4 ,step out quick1 ,jack2 there are three miles to go before we get to work1 and it is #h a4m4 and ,i expect a big day4 ,yes1 ,chance1 old lady1 a fine day--a perfect day--a day to make both the feet and the heart light and every human sense rejoice4 ,there has been just a little frost in the night3 you can see that by the way the elms have spread a golden carpet under their branches in the lane and by their leaves that yet keep falling slowly one by one in the fresh1 but dead still1 air1 and by the smell of the turnips1 the fresh stubble and the newly turned earth behind yonder plough4 ,the sun shines1 cobwebs are floating through the air and get twisted round one's head1 and far and near sounds such as a cart on the high road1 a sheep dog barking1 a boy singing1 birds chirping1 insects humming1 the patter of our own feet1 and the whispering of the brook under the bridge1 all form part of a chorus heaven-sent to gladden the heart of man4 ,i have heard tell1 ,chance1 or ,i have seen it in a book1 or ,i have felt it myself1 ,i don't quite know which1 that those who in youth have had such a walk as this1 and have heard the music1 smelt the perfumes and seen the sights 7that is if they were blessed with eyes to see1 ears to hear1 and hearts to take in71 have never forgotten it4 ,the memory appears for a time to pass away amidst the struggles of life1 but it is never dead2 to the soldier in battle1 to the statesman in council1 or the priest in prayers1 to those in sorrow or in joy or in sickness1 there may come1 no one knows from where1 no one knows why1 a golden memory of such days1 of such a walk4 ,perhaps it is only a gleam resting but a second upon the mind1 and perhaps leaving it saddened with a longing for days that are past1 but yet ,i think making one feel a better man1 giving one courage and hope1 reminding one that1 hard as the battle of life may be to fight1 dark and gloomy as the days may be just now1 another morning may arise for us1 far1 far more bright and glorious and joyful1 one that will not be shadowed over by a returning night2 but then that is only for the brave1 the honest1 the truthful--for those who are up early and strive late1 never beaten1 never doubting1 always pressing forward4 ,but1 come out of that1 ,wasp6 ,don't you know that cows kick if you sniff at their heels8 ,tinker1 old man1 keep your spirits up2 ,pepper1 come back from that wood1 for it is preserved4 ,yes1 ,jack1 ,i think ,i'll fill my pipe again4 ,baccy does taste good on a day like this2 but what doesn't8 ,i feel like a ten-year-old and as fit as a fiddler4 ,grindum1 give over blinking and don't look so benevolent4 ,no1 ,chance1 no1 old lady1 ,i can't pull your tail1 for you haven't got one4 ,what1 ,jack1 you say ,i haven't spoken for the past mile8 ,well1 ,i suppose ,i have been thinking1 and my thoughts have not been wholly sad ones4 ,open the gate2 here we are2 and you get over on the other side of the hedge and don't talk or make a noise1 for ,i can see by the work the rats s-w-a-r-m4 ,steady1 dogs1 steady6 ,and so we start4 ,the hedge is just what it should be1 and if it had been made for ratting it could not be better4 ,a round bank of soft earth1 a shallow ditch with grass1 little bush or bramble1 and a gap every few yards4 ,there is a gateway in the middle1 which will make a hot corner later on when ,grindum has taken his stand there2 and there is a pipe under the gateway1 the far end of which ,i shall close4 ,the rats have never been disturbed1 for the runs are as fresh as ,oxford ,street1 and ,i have already seen one or two rats run into the hedge lower down from out the wheat stubble1 and1 there6 that whistle has sent a lot more in4 ,steady1 ,wasp6 ,well done1 ,chance2 you have marked one in that hole near you1 or more than one1 is there8 ,well1 the more the merrier6 ,stand1 dogs1 stand6 ,are you ready1 ,jack8 ,and in goes a ferret as lively as quicksilver and as fierce as a tiger4 ,for a minute all is quiet2 then a slight stir on the other side and two snaps of ,tinker's lantern-jaws1 and two rats dead2 three others out of a side hole are killed by ,wasp1 and three others accounted for by ,grindum1 and that fool ,pepper is racing and jumping down the hedge a mile off4 ,whistle6 whistle6 and back he comes1 and at that moment ,jack picks up a ferret on the other side1 it having gone through the hole4 ,chance sniffs at it and says it is swept clear1 and ,i block it up with my heel1 and ,jack does the same to the bolt-hole1 so that if a rat does come back later on the dogs will have a chance2 and then on we go a few yards to the next hole which ,chance marks4 ,this time the ferret went in like a lion and came out like a lamb1 with the blood running out of the side of its face2 and whilst ,i am examining the bite1 a real patriarch rat bolted at a side hole near ,pepper1 who strikes at it1 misses taking a proper hold and gets it too far back1 and the next moment the blood is pouring from a bite above his eye2 but the rat is dead1 and ,pepper but little the worse4 ,i thought it was too late in the year for young ones1 but it was not1 for at the next hole we came to the ferret got into a nest1 killed a lot of young ones and laid up1 and1 as ,i had not a box-trap with me1 ,i had to dig it out4 ,this took some time1 as ,i lost the hole1 and ,jack1 whilst down grubbing with his hands1 broke into a wrong one in which the old rat was ready for him1 and at once bit him through the end of his finger4 ,jack sucked it well and did not mind1 but ,i did not much like the appearance of things1 for in half-an-hour ,i had had a ferret laid up1 and a dog and a boy bitten badly by rats1 and these bites are often very poisonous4 ,fortunately this time ,jack took no harm and was soon well4 ,as soon as ,jack pulled his hand out of the rat's hole1 ,pincher put his long nose in1 and all was over in a minute4 ,soon after ,i came on the ferret curled up in a nest of young rats1 all minus their heads2 and so that ferret1 from being gorged with food1 was no more good for work1 and had to be put away with the bitten one4 ,after this we got on much faster2 the holes were close together1 and even with the greatest care lots of rats bolted and went forward1 but ,i would not allow the dogs to disturb fresh ground by following them4 ,some went back1 and ,pepper and ,wasp had a good time1 for ,i let them follow and work them alone1 having stopped all back holes after ferreting them4 ,now and then1 ,jack and ,i had to go back1 as there was an old pollard tree covered with ivy1 and many of the rats got up that1 and ,pincher had to be lifted up into the crown to displace them1 and then when they jumped down1 three or four at a time1 there was a grand scrimmage4 ,when we had got twenty yards or so from the gateway1 ,grindum went forward and stood there and killed a dozen rats that tried to pass1 and a lot more went into the pipe under the roadway4 ,these we left alone1 only after we had passed we stopped up the open end and opened the shut one1 so that in future rats going back might wait quietly in the arch till we were ready for them4 ,by the time we had got as far as the gate it was just noon1 so we called the dogs back to a tree we had passed1 and then ,jack and ,i sat down and paid attention to the game bag1 which was well provided with cold meat and bread and cheese and a bottle of beer4 ,i am not a good hand at picnics and never was4 ,i mean those big gatherings with ladies1 lobster salad1 hot dishes1 plates1 knives1 spoons1 champagne1 etc4 ,i find the round world was created a little too low down to sit upon with comfort2 my knees don't make a good table2 flies get into my beer and hopping things into my plate4 ,i have to get up and hand eatables about2 things bite me1 and more creep about me1 and it does not look well to scratch4 ,the hostess looks anxious about her glass and plate2 someone has forgotten the salt1 and some one else the corkscrew4 ,the host1 be he ever so sad1 makes fun1 and made fun is magnified misery to me4 ,no1 ,i don't like picnics2 ,i would rather be at home and feed upon a table2 and yet a snack at noon-day1 after hard work1 sitting under a tree1 with your hands as plates1 with a good shut-knife1 a silent companion and the dogs all round you1 is pleasant4 ,double ,gloucester then equals ,stilton1 and bottled beer nectar2 and then the pipe in quiet1 while ,jack takes the dogs1 after they have finished the scraps1 to the pond to drink4 ,talk of ,havanas6 ,well1 talk of them1 but give me that pipe as ,i loll1 half asleep1 resting against the tree1 my legs spread out1 and my hat tipped over my nose4 ,i half close my eyes and go nearly to sleep1 but keep pulling at the pipe1 and half unconsciously hear the leaves whispering above1 the insects humming1 the stubble rustling1 the trembling of a thrashing machine1 and the rush of a train in the far distance4 ,jack returns from the pond1 throws himself on the ground on his face1 kicks his legs in the air and whistles softly1 with the gentle ,grindum blinking beside him4 ,chance and ,tinker lie out full length on their sides and go to sleep4 ,wasp stretches on the ground1 with her legs out behind her1 and drags herself about with her front feet4 ,pepper sits down1 scratches his ear1 and then dashes at a passing bumble bee1 and all becomes a pleasant jumble of sights and sounds2 but1 with a start1 ,i recover myself1 drop my pipe1 topple my hat off and lose my temper1 for that everlastingly restless1 volatile1 good-for-nothing1 ramshackly beast1 ,pepper1 has been and licked me all up the side of the face6 ,the dream1 the quiet1 the rest is all broken1 so1 jumping up1 ,i tip my pipe out on the heel of my boot1 give a stretch1 grasp the spade1 and off we go to finish our job4 ,for three hours we work our way on1 and a line of dead rats on the headland marks our progress1 till at last we reach the bottom of the field and our bank is done4 ,pepper has got three more bites1 another ferret is done for by a nip on the nose1 and ,jack has torn his trousers and is very dirty2 but there is yet the drain pipe under the gate to attend to1 and it is getting on in the day4 ,i cut three or four long sticks and tie them tightly together1 and then to the end of this fasten a good hard bunch of grass1 and back we go to the drain4 ,i go to one end with ,grindum and ,pincher1 whilst ,jack takes the sticks1 ,pepper and ,wasp to the other end1 and gently and slowly shoves the sticks through4 ,two venturesome rats bolt at my end and are killed4 ,when the sticks appear ,i grasp them and gradually draw the whisp of grass into the drain4 ,it fits tight and takes some pulling1 but it comes steadily along1 wiping all before it4 ,faster and faster the rats bolt and are killed1 and even old ,chance1 who began by watching us1 gets excited and joins the sport4 ,pepper and ,wasp dash in for a last worry1 which is over in a few minutes1 when twenty-four rats are cast by ,jack up on to the bank4 ,well done1 dogs6 well done1 good dogs6 ,woo-hoop1 woo-hoop6 ,good dogs6 ,that's the way1 my boys6 ,woo-hoop6 woo-hoop6 ,and the dogs roll on the ground1 stretch1 wipe the dirt out of their eyes with their paws1 and rub their faces in the grass4 ,jack goes backwards and forwards and collects the spoil1 and we count up seventy-three real beauties1 a few of which ,i really think should be fourpenny beasts1 they are so big4 ,never mind1 seventy-three rats at twopence each comes to twelve and twopence--not such a bad day's work2 and1 ,jack1 you shall have a hot supper to-night2 and oh1 you dogs1 you dogs1 think of the supper ,i will give you6 ,bones with lots of meat on1 oatmeal and such soup6 ,think of it1 dogs6 think of it6 ,and so the work ends1 and all are happy and contented4 ,three miles down turning twisting lanes to reach home1 ,grindum and ,i first1 then ,jack1 and the rear brought up by the long and now a little drooping tail of ,tinker4 ,all have had enough2 even the volatile young ,pepper trots slowly1 and therefore looks ever so much more business-like4 ,before we start the shades are falling1 and as we trudge along nature's evening vespers speak of the closing day4 ,workmen sitting sideways on quiet harnessed cart-horses stump past with a friendly ,good night1 neighbour1 good night6 ,women with children in go-carts bustle past in a hurry to get home and fetch up the supper4 ,farm horses are drinking in the pond or browsing on the rank grass at the side2 sparrows are chattering in the old alder bush before going to bed in the ivy on the church2 pigs in the homestead are calling for their supper2 the cows pass us coming home to be milked2 rooks fly steadily to the old elm trees near the ,manor2 and a robin pipes clear and shrill on the roof of the shed in the cottage garden4 ,there are partridges calling out cheap wheat in the stubble1 and pewits crying on the meadows4 ,cock pheasants noisily flutter up to roost in the firs1 and the old doctor standing at his door makes soft music with his violin4 ,the parson joins us and has a cheery word for all1 especially the dogs1 who are all his personal friends2 and so we jog on and reach the village1 where the wood smoke rises straight in a blue cloud from the cottage chimneys1 and the fire light sends a ruddy gleam across the roads4 ,groups of men and boys stand about resting1 little children race and play1 and oh1 such a delicious whiff of something stewing1 with a little bit of onion in it1 comes from the open door of the village ale-house6 ,and this reminds us all that our suppers are near1 and we finish the evening's walk quite briskly4 ,no need to say1 ,kennel1 dogs1 kennel6 ,all go in of their own accord1 and in five minutes are busy at their savoury-smelling hot supper4 ,the ferrets are fed and locked up1 and then1 unlacing our boots at the back door and kicking them off1 the day is done4 ,supper1 rest and quiet1 a pipe1 a book1 bed and happy dreams are all before us4 ,now1 ,croker1 minor1 you will go to the ,doctor's study before school to-morrow4 ,you have been most inattentive1 and it is not the first time ,i have had occasion to speak to you4 ,you can go now1 but don't forget that this is tub night1 as you all have done on the last four occasions4 ,if ,i have further complaints on this head from the matron1 ,i shall take you all out for a long day's rat-catching1 so ,i advise you all to be very careful4 ,five minutes later this master is smoking in his room and says to another master who is doing the same1 ,i say1 ,potts1 do you know ,i think these new lessons on rat-catching are all very well1 but ,i think they are beyond the capacity of schoolboys4 ,why1 they strain my mind1 and ,i think they should only be taken up at the universities and during the last term2 and then the boys do so hate them1 etc4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,croker1 minor1 have you been up to the head-master8 ,yes8 ,then sit still and don't fidget4 ,boys1 pick up your books on rat-catching1 and we will resume yesterday's task4 ,the last chapter treats of a prime day's rat-catching1 where rats were numerous and known to be numerous2 but don't suppose all days are like this1 for if you do you will be sadly disappointed1 and you will have a lot to learn1 for there are days1 and very pleasant days too1 when you will have to walk mile after mile to find a rat1 and even then not be successful2 but you will be out of doors in the fresh air1 with devoted companions and something fresh to see at every step1 if you keep your eyes open4 ,don't get disheartened1 and above all things never say1 ,oh1 it is no good looking here or looking there for a rat2 there is sure not to be one4 ,come on and don't waste time4 ,you often find them in the most unexpected places4 ,i once went three times to the house of an old lady1 being sent for because there was a rat that came each night and took her hen's eggs and carried off young ducks and chickens4 ,i spent hours looking for it in hedges1 ditches1 sheds1 out-houses and stable1 and even put ,tinker up on the roof of all the buildings1 thinking the assassin might be under the tiles2 but it was no go4 ,night after night the plunderer came1 and ,i began to see that the old lady did not think much of me4 ,at last1 one afternoon1 ,i called again and began operations by asking to have a dog that was tied up to a kennel in a back yard led away1 as his barking disturbed my dogs4 ,this was done1 and a minute afterwards ,chance was sidling round the kennel1 staking her reputation upon the rat being under it4 ,i got out a ferret and looked round the kennel1 and was utterly disgusted to find it was placed firmly on hard ground without a vestige of a hole4 ,i am sorry to say ,i went so far as to sneer at ,chance and tell her she did not know the difference between a dog and a rat4 ,she herself for a moment seemed in doubt1 but the next she went inside the kennel and stood at a hole in the plank floor4 ,i put the ferret back in the bag and1 taking hold of the kennel1 tilted it up1 and in an instant the dogs had a vicious-looking old monster dead4 ,now the only possible way that rat could have got in and out of his house was by passing the dog as he slept1 and yet the old lady and her gardener assured me that the dog was as keen as mustard after rats4 ,i once killed a rat inside a church4 ,i found it during a long sermon1 but for the life of me ,i can't remember what that sermon was about4 ,i was sitting in a seat opposite about a score of village school children1 and suddenly ,i was struck by their appearance1 and the thought passed through my mind1 ,how like humans are to dogs6 ,why1 those children look just like my dogs when they find a rat1 especially that flaxen-haired girl with a front tooth out4 ,then ,i noticed that they were all looking in one direction1 and so ,i looked there too and saw a rat sitting with just its nose out of a hole which ran under the brick floor1 apparently listening to the sermon4 ,the next morning the parson and ,i went to the church4 ,i took one ferret and only ,tinker4 ,i chose ,tinker because he was black and rather clerical looking4 ,the rat was at home1 and we had it in five minutes4 ,this was one of the few times ,i ever did rat-catching with my hat off1 and it felt very queer4 ,again1 ,i once killed a mother rat and a lot of young ones which ,i found in the stuffing of a spring sofa in a spare bedroom at an old manor-house4 ,there were rats in the walls1 and ,mary ,ann had often seen a rat in the room when she went in to dust1 and it had given her such a turn4 ,this time ,i took all the dogs with me1 and we were followed by the lady of the house1 four dreadfully pretty daughters and ,mary ,ann4 ,madam and ,mary ,ann got on the sofa1 standing1 and the four daughters stood on four chairs round the room4 ,all six clasped their clothes tight round their ankles--why1 ,i never could think4 ,this was the only time in her life that ,i ever found ,chance a fool4 ,directly she got into the room1 she wriggled and twisted1 turned her head this way and that1 threw herself on her back and fairly grovelled4 ,wasp1 ,pepper1 and the long-tailed ,tinker were nearly as bad1 and it was plain to see they were shy and bashful in such a gorgeous room and surrounded by such a galaxy of beauty4 ,it was the soft-hearted ,grindum who saved us2 he blinked much1 but directly ,i said1 ,hie round1 dogs6 ,hunt him up6 ,search him out6 he went to work--up on the bed1 round the room1 behind the furniture1 and at last began sniffing round the sofa4 ,i got hot all over1 for ,i thought he was mistaking an aristocratic lady and her hand-maid for rats2 but no1 at last he went under the sofa1 and turning over on his back began to scratch at the underside of it up above him4 ,madam and ,mary ,ann jumped off1 and the latter felt another turn2 then both took refuge on chairs and again clasped their clothes tight round them4 ,i turned the sofa up on its back1 and there through the sacking near a leg ,i found a nice round hole into the interior among the springs4 ,i put a ferret in1 and in a minute there was a rush and scuffle1 the sofa seemed alive1 and then three or four small rats bolted out and were accounted for2 another squeak and rush1 and out came the mother and was quickly dispatched2 then1 as the ferret did not come out1 ,i ripped the sacking and found it eating a deliciously tender young rat4 ,i bagged the ferret1 and while ,i did so1 ,grindum killed three or four small ones4 ,i afterwards found that the rats had eaten through the wainscot and so got into the room4 ,the rest of the afternoon was spent in turning over all sorts of furniture1 including beds1 and hunting through each room with the dogs2 but we found no more rats as inside lodgers4 ,three or four months after this episode1 rats swarmed in the walls of this same house and behind the wainscoting1 and my professional services were called in to get rid of them4 ,how they got into the house ,i never discovered1 for there were no holes from the outside1 and no creepers on the walls for them to mount by and get on to the roof2 the drains did not appear to communicate with the inside of the house1 and all the doors fitted tight4 ,equally puzzling was it1 now that they were inside1 to get them out1 for ,i dare not put ferrets in1 for fear they should kill a rat and leave it to decay and smell for months4 ,i tried various plans4 ,i got a live rat1 tied a ferret's bell on it1 and turned it loose1 and for days after it was constantly heard tinkling inside the walls2 but it did not drive the rats away4 ,i singed the coat of a rat1 put tar on the feet of another and turned them loose2 but it was no good4 ,at last ,i took possession of a wood-house in a cellar down in the basement1 from which a short passage led to other cellars1 and in the walls of these there were many open holes4 ,first of all ,i went carefully over the wood cellar and made sure there were no holes in it2 and then1 putting in a few faggots to give shelter to any nervous young rat1 ,i started each night to feed them with delicious balls of barley-meal1 which were made up with scraps4 ,in this way ,i gave a rats' supper-party each night for three weeks1 and each morning ,i found clean-swept dishes4 ,at last the fatal day arrived4 ,a string was tied to the handle of the door leading up into the kitchen1 the food was placed in the dishes as usual about ten p4m41 and all the household1 except myself1 went to bed4 ,i sat over the kitchen fire reading my paper till a distant clock struck midnight1 and then ,i gave a sharp pull to the string and heard the door bang to and the fastening fall1 and ,i knew ,i had them4 ,i lit a big glass lantern1 went round to the stables and let out all the dogs1 took them to the cellar window and slipt them through quickly1 squeezing myself through after them and shutting the window again4 ,in half no time fifty rats were killed1 and all the dogs1 except ,tinker1 pretty badly bitten2 but they were used to that and did not care4 ,then ,i locked the back door behind me1 taking the key home to bring back in the morning when ,i called to be paid eight and fourpence for my night's work4 ,three times in the next three months ,i went through a similar performance1 and the first time ,i killed twenty-eight rats1 the second seven1 and the third time only two1 and these were old bachelors4 ,then every hole in the walls was filled up with a cement made up with broken glass1 and ,i have never heard of a rat in that house since4 ,before ,i forget it1 let me tell you that if a rat dies in the wall1 or under the floor of a house where it can't be got at1 its whereabouts can be discovered in this way1 provided the weather is warm4 ,take a butterfly net over to the butchers shop1 and there catch a dozen bluebottle flies1 and1 taking care not to hurt them1 slip them into a glass jar and tie a rag over it4 ,return to the room where the smell is1 and1 shutting the door after you1 let your pack of flies loose and sit down to watch them1 and in half-an-hour you will find they are all buzzing round one spot4 ,have this spot opened out1 be it wall or floor1 and there the dead rat will be found4 ,has the bell rung8 ,yes1 half a minute6 ,put your books away1 form two and two outside1 and ,i will take you for our usual walk4 ,we will resume this task in the morning4 ,croker1 minor1 the top part of ,jones' leg was not made to stick pins into4 ,if ,i see you do it again1 ,i shall give you a rat to catch1 so be careful6 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,i trust that1 in the five chapters ,i have written1 ,i have said enough to give some of my scholars a slight taste and liking for the profession ,i am advocating1 and in some small degree have weaned their young affections from such pernicious pastimes as studying classical authors1 doing sums1 and cutting their names on their desks4 ,if ,i have not done this ,i have written to little purpose1 and ,i fear the next chapter will damp off a few who have only followed me and my dogs on fine days in pleasant paths2 but ,i may as well tell you at once that life is no more all beer and skittles in rat-catching than it is in such minor professions as the ,army1 the ,church1 the ,bar1 school-keeping1 etc42 and just to see if you are real grit1 boys1 ,i will show you another picture4 ,jack1 get the ferrets while ,i let the dogs out4 ,we must go and see if we can find a few rats1 for it is a week since the ferrets had flesh1 and we shall have them getting ill2 and1 ,jack1 bring four in the little bag1 and put that inside your game-bag1 for it looks like rain1 and ,i don't like to see them half-drowned4 ,yes1 it does look like rain1 though as yet it is only a dull1 misty1 chilly day in mid-,november down here in the country1 but in ,london it is a thick black fog1 and all work is being done by gaslight4 ,it is bad and depressing here1 but ever so much worse there2 so cheer up1 dogs1 and step out1 ,jack4 ,we will go down by the beck and home by the clay-pits1 for ,i know of no other place near where we are so likely to find a few rats1 and ,i don't want to make a long day of it4 ,go over the bridge1 ,jack4 ,you take that side with ,chance and a young one1 and ,i will do this side with the other dogs4 ,hie in1 dogs6 ,search him out1 lads6 ,and on we go1 but in two miles we only kill a water-hen that ,pepper catches as it rises out of some sedges1 and which goes into my bag to replenish the ferrets' larder4 ,the mist hangs low1 the bushes are wet1 the ground soft1 and there is a dreary sigh in the wind4 ,the cattle are eating fast1 as they always do before rain2 and the sheep1 startled by the sight of the dogs1 caper and jump as they gallop all down the meadow2 and again their playfulness warns me of a wet tramp home4 ,some young colts stand at the door of an open shed1 dull and depressed looking1 and the horses ploughing on the sides of the hill send up a thick steam4 ,no birds twitter or sing1 no insects hum1 distant sounds are muffled and indistinct4 ,the teams in the waggons on the road hard by creep along and take little notice beyond a toss of the head at the carter's whip as he walks beside them with a heavy step cracking it4 ,the only brisk thing to be seen is the doctor's gig as it whisks past4 ,hie up1 dogs6 shake yourselves and don't go to sleep6 ,come over1 ,jack2 ,i have had enough of this brook2 and if we don't find at the clay-pits1 home we go4 ,and we trudge off to some ponds half a mile further away4 ,they are well-known to both men and dogs1 and the latter bolt on ahead and arrive first2 and when we come up we find them all clustered round a hole in a high bank 'midst thick dripping bushes4 ,in goes a ferret1 but not in the way ,i like to see4 ,there is no hurry1 no ecstatic wriggle of the tail as it slowly draws itself into the hole4 ,then all stand round expecting to see a rat take a header into the pond2 but no1 five minutes pass1 and ,pepper begins to move1 and is told to stand4 ,ten minutes pass1 and ,jack gets restless4 ,fifteen minutes1 and ,i begin to shift my feet1 which are planted deep in sticky mud by the side of the pond1 and just then the first drops of rain appear4 ,ah1 there is the ferret6 ,jump up and get it1 ,jack4 ,but before he can do so1 it has drawn itself into the hole backwards1 which means that it has killed a rat inside and that it only came out to tell us so1 and that it was going back to have a good long sound sleep curled up by the rat's warm body4 ,there is nothing for it but to dig it out2 and oh1 what a dig1 all among roots and thorns on the sloping sides of the pond1 in thick sticky clay1 with the rain coming down in a steady pour6 ,jack hunches his back and leans against a tree1 ,pepper and ,wasp wander away down a ditch and scratch for an hour at a drain that has a rabbit in it1 and the old dogs sit and watch me and drip and shiver4 ,i dig here1 ,i dig there2 ,i slip and fall on the bank2 the water mixed with yellow clay runs up my arm from the spade1 and yet that beastly ferret sleeps peacefully in its warm bed4 ,i lose the hole1 come down on roots as thick as my leg and stones that strike fire as the spade strikes them2 and so two hours of discomfort to all drift by1 and ,i am just feeling about for the last time with the spike end of the spade1 when ,i again hit off the hole and1 opening it out1 come upon a nice warm rat's nest made of leaves1 with the ferret curled up snugly with a dead rat4 ,home1 dogs1 home6 ,cheer up1 ,jack6 ,cold are you1 and wet8 ,well1 never mind2 only two miles1 and we will walk fast4 ,pepper1 ,pepper1 ,wasp1 ,wasp1 where on earth have you got to8 ,ah1 there you are1 and a nice mess you have made of yourselves trying to scratch out a hole five hundred yards long4 ,come along all6 ,and off we tramp1 ,jack and ,i in the middle of the road1 splish splash at every step1 the water squirting high up our gaitered legs1 and the dogs1 with drooping tails1 dripping coats and woe-begone looks1 coming along behind us in ,indian file close under the shelter1 such as it is1 of the hedge4 ,we pass the postman1 who only nods1 and meet a flock of sheep all draggled and dirty4 ,an empty cart with a sack over the seat stands at the pot-house1 and pigs wander listlessly about the yard with their backs arched up4 ,under the waggon-shed some cocks and hens stand each on one leg1 with their tails drooping1 apparently too disgusted to prune their feathers and fly up to roost in the rafters4 ,the smoke beats down from the chimneys and gets lost in the wind and rain which buffets and pelts at our back4 ,cold spots begin to be felt at the bend of our arms and knees2 then a shiver runs down the back1 which developes into a trickle of water that at last gets into our boots and goes squish1 squish1 at every step1 and at last oozes over the tops2 and our teeth chatter with cold1 for now here and there among the rain-drops appear a few flakes of snow1 which rest on the mud of the road for a second1 and then melting1 add to the deep slush that trickles down the hill by our side4 ,at every open shed the dogs shelter a minute1 shake themselves like dripping mops1 and with arched backs stand on three legs and shiver2 but we whistle them on and at last reach home4 ,after throwing a good bundle of dry straw on the kennel benches and feeding dogs and ferrets1 ,jack and ,i get under shelter and soon find ourselves in dry clothes before a good fire1 feeling a little swollen and stiff about our faces and hands1 and much inclined for forty winks4 ,the wind howls in the chimney1 lashes the bare branches of the trees1 rattles the window frames1 and appears angry that it cannot get at us1 and the rain drives in fitful gusts against the windows1 and hisses in the big wood fire on the hearth2 and as ,i sit in my snug arm-chair1 ,i dimly feel that the external storm adds greatly to the internal comfort1 and then ,i fancy ,i nod off to sleep1 for ,i think no more till supper is announced1 and hunger and my wife stir me up to consciousness again4 ,having finished a good supper and got my pipe drawing beautifully1 ,i remember one or two things that ,i think the student should be told4 ,the first is1 never put a line on a ferret when ratting4 ,it hampers a ferret in a narrow1 twisting1 turning rat's hole1 and cutting into the soft earth at the turns soon brings the ferret to a dead stop4 ,then rats' holes are chiefly in hedge-banks1 which are full of roots1 and the line is pretty sure to get twisted round some of these1 and then it will be a long dig to free it4 ,remember1 too1 a ferret has to go down the hole and face a beast nearly as big as itself1 with teeth like lancets and with courage to use them1 and so should be as free as possible2 and lining a ferret is about equal to setting a student with the gloves on to fight against another without them4 ,then some way back ,i mentioned ferrets' bells4 ,they are little hollow brass balls with an iron shot in them that make a pretty tinkling sound1 and are supposed to be tied round the ferret's neck4 ,in my opinion1 if you put a bell on it1 you may as well put the ferret in the bag and keep it there4 ,the theory about bells is1 that a ferret running down a hole jingling its bell will fill a rat with fear and make it bolt1 but this is all nonsense2 rats are not so easily frightened4 ,again1 it is said that if a ferret comes out of a hole in a thick hedge unseen1 the bell will let you know where it is2 but ,i must say ,i never lost a ferret in a hedge or felt the want of a belled one4 ,i consider a bell a useless dead weight on a ferret1 and the cord that goes round its neck to fasten it is apt to get hitched on to a root and hold the ferret a prisoner4 ,a bell is only good for a sharp shopman to sell to a flat4 ,i need hardly say1 never muzzle a ferret when rat-catching4 ,it would be brutal not to let the ferret have the use of its teeth to protect itself with4 ,muzzling ferrets appertains solely to rabbiting1 but it is useful to know how to do it4 ,take a piece of twine a foot long1 double it1 and tie a loop at the double4 ,tie the string round the ferret's neck1 with the loop on the top2 bring the two ends down under the chin and tie them together there2 pass them over the nose and tie them there1 shutting the mouth tight2 pass one string along the nose1 between the eyes1 through the loop on the top of the neck1 and bending it back1 tie it to the other loose string from the knot on the top of the nose4 ,cut the ends off1 and1 provided you have not made a lot of granny knots1 your muzzle will keep on all day4 ,there are other ways of doing the trick1 such as passing the string behind the ferret's dogteeth1 bring it under the jaw1 then over the nose1 on the top of the neck2 tie it there and again under the neck4 ,i hate this plan1 and have seen a ferret's mouth badly cut by the string4 ,i have heard of another plan which is too brutal to mention4 ,cut the muzzle off directly you have done with it1 for ,i don't suppose a ferret likes having its mouth tied up any more than you or ,i should4 ,never wantonly hurt any animal1 especially those that work for you and suffer in your service4 ,just think of the amount of pluck a ferret shows each time you put it into a rat's hole4 ,fancy yourself in its place1 going down a lot of dark crooked passages that you don't know1 only just wide enough to allow you to pass1 and have to face a beast somewhat like yourself and as big1 that you know will attack you4 ,why1 if ferrets got ,v4,c4's1 they would1 on high days and holidays when they wished to display them all1 have to employ a string of sandwich-men walking behind them with the boards covered with ,v4,c4 ,three or four times in my life ,i have had ferrets die of the wounds they have received from rats4 ,i have had them in hospital for weeks1 and ,i have had them blinded4 ,speaking of blind ferrets1 ,i am not much of an oculist1 but ,i don't believe a ferret can see in the dark4 ,i never could find any difference between the way my blind ferret worked in a hole and that of one with good eyes2 in fact1 my blind ferret was as good a little beast as ever killed a rat1 and she did kill many a score after she lost both eyes4 ,i believe a ferret when in a hole uses a sense we don't possess--,i mean the sense of touch with the long nose whiskers4 ,some years ago the ,field opened its pages to a long discussion on the subject of ferrets sucking the blood of their victims after they have killed them4 ,writers pretending to know all about it said they did do so4 ,these men are to be pitied1 not laughed at1 for you see in the days of their youth ,rat-catching for the ,use of ,schools was not written1 and therefore they had not learnt better4 ,a ferret no more sucks the blood of the things it kills than a dog does4 ,if you doubt this1 give a fresh-killed rat to a ferret1 let it fasten on it1 and then peep at the corners of its mouth1 and you will find an opening there into the mouth1 out of which blood would flow if the ferret had it in its mouth2 and look down its throat1 you will not find blood in it1 nor will there be blood on the portion of the rat that has been held in its mouth4 ,no1 people are misled by a ferret sending its teeth deep home in the flesh and making a sucking sound as it with difficulty breathes through its nose and the corners of its mouth4 ,if you watch a ferret after it has killed a rat1 it will1 as soon as it is sure the rat is dead1 begin chewing at the skin of the head or throat till it has made an entrance1 and will then eat the flesh4 ,to finish this chapter1 ,i will tell you a story which you are never to put into practice4 ,some long time ago ,i found myself far from home in a country village1 and having nothing to do1 ,i went for a walk1 and soon came upon a brother professional rat-catcher2 and thinking ,i might learn a wrinkle from him that would come in useful1 ,i joined him and carefully watched him and his dogs4 ,i saw at once that three of the latter were very good and up to their work2 but there was a fourth1 a nondescript sort of beast with a long tail1 that appeared quite useless2 and ,i observed with amusement that directly the man put a ferret into a hole1 the dog tucked its tail tight between its legs and went and stood well out in the field4 ,i asked the man why he kept such a useless beast1 and with a chuckle he answered1 ,well1 mate1 ,i'll own up he ain't much to boast on for rat-killing1 nor yet for looks1 but he has his use like some other of we h-ugly ones4 ,you see1 sir1 ,i've got one or two ferrets as won't come out of a 'ole1 but stand a peeping at the h-entrance and waste a lot of time4 ,then that 'ere dawg comes in useful4 ,i catches him1 lifts him up1 and sticks his bushy tail down to the ferret1 who catches tight hold1 and ,i draws it out4 ,nothing ain't made for nothing1 and ,i expect that dawg was made for drawing ferrets4 ,the man may have been right1 but ,i was quite sure the unfortunate dog did not take an active pleasure in his vocation4 ,there1 young gentlemen1 if you have well digested that chapter and forgotten the story at the end1 you can put up your books and form up for your usual walk to the second milestone and back again2 but before leaving1 let me point out to you1 ,croker1 minor1 that if that caricature ,i have observed you drawing behind your book is meant for me1 it is1 like most things you do1 incorrect2 my nose is not so long1 and ,i part my hair on the left side1 not the right4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,rat-catching and rabbit-catching are two distinct professions1 but the greater part of the stock-in-trade that serves for one will answer for the other1 and it is as well for the professional to be master of what ,i think ,i may call both branches of his business4 ,a rat-catcher who did nothing but kill rats and refused a day's work with the rabbits would be like a medical man who would cut off limbs but would not give a pill1 or a captain of a sailing-vessel who would not go to sea in a steamer2 besides in these days it is the fashion to jumble up half a dozen businesses under one head and name4 ,just look at what the engineer does4 ,why1 he is nowhere if he is not 7besides being ready1 as the engineer of the old school1 to make railways1 etc47 a chemist1 an electrician1 a diplomat1 a lawyer1 a financier and a contractor1 and even sometimes an honest man4 ,if you are not in the fashion you are left behind as an old fogey1 and so in this chapter we will discuss the art of rabbit-catching2 and ,i trust all schoolmasters will furnish you1 their students1 with the opportunity of putting in practice in the field what you learn from this book at your desks4 ,well1 now for the requirements4 ,we have got the dogs1 we have got the ferrets1 spade1 bag1 etc42 but for rabbiting we must have a much more costly stock-in-trade if we are to do a big business4 ,we shall require an ordinary gardener's spade for digging in soft sandy ground1 where the rabbit burrows sometimes go in for yards1 and as much as ten feet deep down2 also another spade1 longer in the blade than our ratting one1 the sides more turned in1 and with a handle ten feet long1 with a steel hook at the end instead of a spike4 ,with this spade we can sink down many feet after the hole is too deep for the ordinary spade1 and the turned in sides will hold the soft earth and allow you to bring it to the surface4 ,if you dig down on the top of a rabbit--as you will do when you know your work--the hook at the end will enable you to draw first it and then the ferret up by the string4 ,we must have a piece of strong light supple cord1 marked by a piece of red cloth drawn through the strands at every yard1 so that one can tell exactly how far in the ferret is2 and it is as well to have a second shorter cord for work in stiff heavy ground1 where the holes are never deep4 ,next1 we must have two or three dozen purse-nets1 which are circular1 about two feet in diameter1 with a string rove round the outside mesh fastened to a peg4 ,these are for covering over bolt holes to bag a rabbit when driven out by the ferrets4 ,the nets should be made of the very best string1 so as to be as light and fine as possible4 ,the mesh should be just large enough to allow a rabbit's head to pass through4 ,like the postscript to a lady's letter1 the chief item ,i have saved till the last1 and ,i fear it will be some time before the ordinary rabbit-catcher will be able to afford it4 ,i refer to long nets1 which are used for running round or across a piece of covert to catch the rabbits as they are bustled about by the dogs4 ,a rabbit-catcher in full swing should have from eight hundred to a thousand yards of this1 for with a good long net he will often kill as many rabbits in a few hours as he could do with the ferrets in a week4 ,i myself keep no special dog for rabbit-catching1 chiefly because ,i have a neighbour who will always let me have a cunning old lurcher that he keeps1 which is as good as gold1 and as clever as a lawyer1 and desperately fond of a day with me and my dogs4 ,i have three male ferrets1 real monsters1 strong enough to trot down a burrow and drag five or six yards of line after them with ease4 ,having described all the tools1 etc41 necessary for work1 ,i will now jot down1 as an exercise for you students1 a nice easy day's rabbiting that actually took place a few weeks ago--a sort of day that quite a young beginner might work with success4 ,there had been a sharp rime frost in the night1 which still hung about in shady spots at eight o'clock in the morning1 as ,jack and ,i marched off with my dogs and ferrets1 accompanied by old ,fly1 the lurcher4 ,by nine a4m4 we began working field hedge-rows and banks1 where rabbits were pretty plentiful and had been established for years in every description of burrow4 ,there had been a lot of partridge and other shooting going on over this farm for the last month1 and most of the rabbits had got a dislike to sitting out in the open1 and were under ground1 so we began at the burrows at once1 the dogs driving every rabbit that was sitting out in the hedge back to their burrows as we walked along4 ,we began work in a stiff clay bank far too hard for the rabbits to make deep holes in1 and here we got on fast4 ,i took the ditch side--in fact1 ,i took the ditch itself--with a big ferret with a short line on1 and ,i ran it into each hole ,i came to4 ,jack on the other side looked out for the bolt holes1 and always laid down a little to one side1 as much as possible out of sight1 but with a hand just on the bank over the hole ready to catch a bolting rabbit4 ,fly and the other dogs took charge of the other holes1 and all kept as quiet as possible4 ,in went the ferret1 slowly dragging the line after him till ,i count two yards gone by the red marks on the line2 then there is a halt for half a minute1 then a loud rumbling and the line is pulled fast through my fingers4 ,jack moves quickly1 and the next instant a rabbit is thrown a little way out into the field with its neck broken4 ,jack says1 ,ferret out1 then picks it up1 draws the line through the hole1 passes the ferret over to me1 and we go on to the next1 having filled up the entrance of the hole we have just worked4 ,hole after hole was ferreted much in the same way4 ,sometimes ,jack bagged the bolting rabbit1 sometimes the dogs1 and now and then one bolted and got into the hedge before it could be caught and went back1 but it was little use1 for the dogs with ,fly at their head were soon after it1 and in a few minutes ,fly was sure to have it1 and would retrieve it back to ,jack4 ,as we worked round a big field1 we got into softer ground1 a red sand and soil mixed2 and here the holes were much deeper and often ran through the bank and out for yards under ground into the next field4 ,here ,jack and ,i changed places1 ,jack doing the ferreting1 and ,i going to his side with the garden spade4 ,one1 two1 three1 four1 five yards the ferret went and stopped1 and all was quiet4 ,i listen1 but not a sound4 ,jack pulls gently on the line and finds it tight1 and for a minute we wait1 hoping a rabbit may bolt from the hole the ferret went in at4 ,but no such luck4 ,i take the small ratting-spade1 and with the spike end feel into the ground at the foot of the bank1 and at once come upon the hole2 this ,i open out and clear of earth1 and ,jack1 who has crept through the hedge1 kneels down and finds the line passing this hole in the direction of the field and going downwards4 ,at that moment there is a sound like very distant thunder1 and the line is pulled quickly four yards further into the hole1 and the marks show six yards are in4 ,i go about this distance out into the field1 lie down and place my ear close to the ground4 ,i shift about in all directions listening intently1 and at last hear a faint thudding sound4 ,i shift again a few inches in this direction1 and lose it2 in that1 and recover it2 again a few inches1 and the sound is directly under my head1 but pretty deep down4 ,i take the big spade and open out a hole a yard square1 and dig down as far as ,i can reach4 ,i get into the hole and sink deeper4 ,i have to enlarge it a foot all round to get room1 and then ,i dig down again till only my head appears above ground when ,i stand up4 ,then ,i take the long spade1 and with that sink two more feet1 and plump ,i come on the top of the hole1 and the ferret shoves a sand-covered head up and looks at me4 ,i reverse the long spade and catch the line with the hook and pull the ferret up1 and then calling ,jack1 ,i send him head first into the well-like pit1 holding on to one of his feet myself as ,i lie flat on the ground to allow him to go deep enough4 ,in a minute a dead rabbit is taken out and two live ones1 whose necks ,jack breaks as he hangs suspended1 and then ,i pull him up with his plunder1 and he rights himself on the surface1 very red in the face1 very sandy1 spluttering and rubbing his eyes4 ,then the ferret is swung down again by the line1 it goes a little way into the hole and returns1 and so we know we have made a clean sweep4 ,the big hole is filled up and stamped down1 and after filling a pipe and resting a few minutes1 on we go with our work4 ,on the high sandy part of the field we have several deep digs like the above1 with varying success1 and we rejoice when we reach the last side of the field and get into clay again1 where holes are short and most of the rabbits bolt at once4 ,during all the day we only stopped once for half-an-hour to get a snack of bread and cheese1 and by the time the cock partridges began to call their families together for roost1 and the teams in the next field to knock off ploughing1 we are all1 man1 boy1 dogs and ferrets1 fairly tired1 and are glad to tumble seventeen couple of rabbits into the keeper's cart that has been sent out for them1 and trudge off home ourselves4 ,now for another day's sport that was quite different4 ,no dogs with us1 only a bag of ready-muzzled ferrets1 a bundle of purse nets and a spade4 ,success will depend on perfect quiet1 and even the patter of the dogs' feet would spoil our sport1 so they are at home for once1 and ,jack and ,i are alone4 ,it is one of those soft mild dull days that now and then appear in mid-winter1 a sort of day to gladden the heart of foxhunters and doctors1 and to make wiseacres shake their heads and say most unseasonable4 ,it is a good day for ,jack and me1 and we feel confident as we steal into a plantation of tall spruce firs1 placed so thick on the ground that beneath them is perpetual twilight1 and not a blade of grass or bramble to hide the thick carpet of needle points4 ,softly we creep forward to a lot of burrows we know of in the corner of the wood1 and then ,i go forward alone and spread a net loosely over every hole1 firmly pegging it down by the cord4 ,this done ,i stand quietly down-wind of the holes1 and ,jack comes and slips the six ferrets all into different holes1 and then crouches down on his knees4 ,all is quiet2 only the whisperings of the tree-tops1 the occasional chirp of a bird1 or the rustle of a mouse in the dead leaves4 ,five minutes pass1 and then out dashes a rabbit into a net1 which draws up round it4 ,jack moves forward on tip-toe1 kills the rabbit and takes it out of the net1 and covers the hole again4 ,while he is doing this1 three more rabbits have bolted and got netted1 one has escaped1 and a ferret has come out4 ,the captured ones are killed1 the ferret sent into another hole1 and for an hour this work goes on1 and during all the time neither of us have spoken1 for we know there is nothing that scares wild animals more than the human voice1 unless it is the jingle of metals1 such as a bunch of keys rattling4 ,they dread the human voice because they have had too much experience of it1 and the rattle of metal because they have not had experience enough of it1 for it is a sound they have never heard1 and nothing like1 in the quiet woods and fields4 ,on the other hand1 animals pay but little attention to a whistle1 for in one shape or another they are constantly hearing it from their feathered companions4 ,but to go back to our netting4 ,an hour over1 we pick up the ferrets as they come out and bag them1 and then ,i go off to some fresh holes and spread the nets again1 and we repeat the same performance2 and during the day we kill1 without any digging or hard work1 about twenty-two couple of rabbits4 ,in the above account ,i have written of a day's sport that took place in a fir plantation in a little village in ,norfolk1 where it would have been madness to work the ferrets without muzzling them1 for they would have been sure to kill some rabbits in the holes and then have laid up2 but ,i should mention that ,i have killed many rabbits in the same way on the ,cotswold ,hills in ,gloucestershire1 and ,i was much astonished when ,i first got there to find men who thoroughly understood their business working their ferrets under nets without muzzling them4 ,i adopted the plan myself1 and have rarely had a ferret kill a rabbit underground4 ,for some reason that ,i could never find out1 a ,cotswold rabbit will always bolt from a hole with a ferret in if it can4 ,it is well known in ,norfolk that if a rabbit is run into a hole by dogs1 you may ferret it if you like1 but it will never bolt1 and it must be dug out4 ,but in ,gloucestershire ,i have seen the same rabbit bolt out of a hole1 get shot at1 be run by dogs1 go to ground1 and again bolt at once from a ferret4 ,few professionals ever use a line on a ferret on the ,cotswold1 one reason being that the burrows are nearly all in rocky ground1 and there would be danger of the line being caught in the numerous cracks2 besides it is not required1 for a rabbit there is sure to bolt1 and for this reason it is twice as easy to kill rabbits in ,gloucestershire as it is in ,norfolk1 especially in the sandy or soft soil of the latter county4 ,let me here beg of all my readers1 especially students1 never to keep a poor rabbit alive in their hands a second4 ,i don't suppose any who read this book could be so unsportsmanlike and brutal as to keep a rabbit alive to course and torture over again with dogs1 or for the fun of shooting at the poor little beast4 ,such ruffians should never be allowed a day's sport on a gentleman's property4 ,they are only fit to go out mole-catching4 ,no1 directly you have a live rabbit in your hand1 take it by its hind legs with your right hand1 and the head with your left1 with two fingers under its face2 with these fingers turn the head back1 and give the rabbit a smart quick stretch1 and in an instant all its sufferings are over4 ,never hit it with your hand or a stick behind the ears3 first1 because you are not quite sure to kill it with the first blow2 and secondly1 if you do1 half the blood in the rabbit will settle in a great bruise at the spot where it was struck1 and make that portion unfit for table4 ,that is sufficient for this morning1 and you may now turn to a little lighter work with some algebra4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,fortunately ,i don't live by the sea4 ,i say fortunately1 because ,i look upon the sea as a swindler1 for it robs one of just half one's little world and upsets all calculations by forcing one to live in a mean semicircle4 ,i actually know a rat-catcher who is stupid enough to live in a village on the east coast1 and half his time he and his dogs are at home in idleness and are half starved1 because the ever-restless tiresome sea rolls about and disports itself over all that is east of the village1 so the poor man can only go rat-catching in one direction4 ,now and then ,i go to the sea-side1 but when ,i go there it is on business--not in my ,sunday clothes and with a tripper's return ticket1 but with my dogs1 ferrets1 nets 7the long ones7 and the boy ,jack2 he and ,i dressed in our well-worn corduroys1 gaiters1 and navvy boots2 and instead of choosing a town to visit with ,marine ,parade1 ,esplanades1 ,lodgings to let1 ,brass ,bands1 ,nigger ,minstrels and spouting ,m4,p4's1 we go to a little village unknown to trippers1 and put up at a small inn for a week or ten days4 ,we sleep in a room not unlike a hay-loft1 and take our meals and rest in the common kitchen1 with its rattling latticed windows and sanded floor4 ,we go there twice each winter to kill rabbits on what are called the ,denes1 which are great1 wide1 down-like lands on the top of the steep earth cliff1 partially covered with the ever-flowering gorse1 a cover dear to rabbits and all sorts of game4 ,we reach the inn in time for an early dinner2 and after we have housed the ferrets in a big tub and the dogs in a warm dry shed with heaps of straw to sleep on1 ,jack and ,i despatch our food and then start off to inspect the field of our future operations4 ,we have not far to go4 ,first down the street1 past two or three dozen flint-pebble cottages2 past the church1 with its square tower so high that it makes the really big church look small in proportion2 past the rectory2 past the schools1 where some forty or fifty future fishermen and sailors have just finished their tasks for the day and come rolling out1 dressed all alike in dark1 sea-stained1 canvas trousers and thick sailor jerseys2 past the low one-storied cottage where the old retired naval captain has lived for many years1 and then up a sandy lane between high crumbling banks and out on to the open ,denes4 ,we take a path that runs close along on the top of the cliff1 mounting a steep hill as we go till we reach a spot half a mile further on1 where the sea cliff is four hundred feet high and nearly perpendicular2 and here among the ruins of an old church1 part of which has fallen with the slipping cliff into the sea many years ago1 ,jack and ,i halt and take a look round4 ,we are on the highest spot within miles1 and spread out in front of us1 as we face inland1 are1 first1 the down-like hills1 dotted over with patches of gorse and with turf between as fine and soft as a ,persian carpet2 then cultivated fields intersected by thick hedges2 and in the distance we could distinguish a clustering village here1 a homestead there1 an old manor-house in its well-kept garden and park-like grounds1 and in all directions the square1 solid1 picturesque towers of village churches peeping from among the trees1 that became thicker and thicker the further the eye travelled from the sea4 ,close to our left1 just under the shoulder of a hill which protects it from the keen east wind off the sea1 is a tiny village of some ten cottages1 all different1 all neat and snug-looking1 each in its own garden4 ,there is a stand of bee-hives in one1 a honeysuckle-covered porch to another1 and1 though it is mid-winter1 there is a warm home-like look about all4 ,then there is the one farm-house1 well kept and well cared for1 but old and belonging to other days1 as its gables and low windows denote2 and from our high hill we look over the house into a garden and orchard beyond1 both enclosed by grey lichen-covered walls4 ,on either side in front of the house are the farm buildings1 all1 from the big barn to the row of pigsties1 thatched with long reeds1 which give the whole a pleasant ,english home appearance4 ,there are big yards filled with red and white cattle up to their middle in straw1 others full of horses or young calves2 cocks and hens are everywhere1 ducks and geese swim in the big pond by the side of the road1 and turkeys1 so big and plump they make one long for ,christmas1 mob together in the yard1 and the turkey-cocks gobble-gobble at a boy who is infuriating them by whistling4 ,a man crosses the yard with two pails on a yoke1 evidently going a-milking2 and another passes with a perfect hay-stack on his back1 and a dozen great heavy horses come out of the stable in ,indian file and stump off to the pond to drink4 ,beyond the farmstead1 in a field on the right of the road1 is a double row of heaped up mangels and swedes2 and a little further on are a number of stacks1 so neatly built and thatched that it seems quite a pity they should soon be pulled down and thrashed1 but all showing signs of prosperity and plenty4 ,beyond this stands a tiny church1 with reed-thatch roof4 ,it is all1 church and tower1 built of round flint stones as big as oranges1 cleverly split in two and the flat side facing outwards2 and from the dog-tooth ,saxon arch over the door one knows it has seen many generations pass away and find rest from the buffets and storms of the world in the peaceful1 carefully-tended ,god's acre that surrounds it4 ,if one passed down the red gravel churchyard path1 and on in front of the south door to the far corner1 under the big cedar1 a small door would be found1 which would lead through a well-kept1 old-fashioned garden to the ,rectory3 a good old ,elizabethan house1 covered with thick creepers up to the very eaves1 the model of one of ,england's snug homes--homes that have turned out the very best men the dear old land has produced1 to fight1 struggle1 conquer or die in all professions1 in all parts of the world2 men who in such shelters learned to be honest and true1 brave and persevering1 lions in courage1 women in gentleness2 who could face hardships and poverty without a moan1 and prosperity and riches without swagger2 and through all the difficulties of life thought of the old home1 and when success arrived1 be they ever so far away1 packed up and came back to finish their days in just such another home and such surroundings4 ,turn round now1 ,jack2 turn round and take a look at the restless sea rolling its big waters on the smooth strip of sand there below on this side2 and on the other1 ,jack1 far1 far away over there in the south1 on the other side of the world1 laving the roots of the palm and the mangrove1 beneath the burning rays of tropical suns2 and away round here1 ,jack1 far in the north1 dashing its storm-driven waves against the face of frost-bound rocks and treacherous icebergs4 ,there on the dancing waters1 with all sails set1 chasing the lights and shadows as they flit before it1 sails a boat bound south to sunny climes4 ,there on the horizon1 against wind and wave1 steams a collier1 taking fuel to lands where the snow lies deep on the ground for four months in the year2 and right and left1 outward bound or coming home1 are various white sails dotting the waters4 ,but1 ,jack1 how about supper8 ,i ordered eggs and bacon for supper1 and those chimney corners at the inn looked as if they might be snug and warm to smoke a pipe in afterwards before turning in4 ,step on1 ,jack1 and have supper ready in half an hour1 while ,i go round by the ,rectory and see if the two young gentlemen are at home4 ,they are the right sort1 and as keen as ,pepper after the rabbits1 and they always have half a dozen good terriers as fond of the sport as they are4 ,at the ,rectory ,i received a kindly welcome from ,miss ,madge ,ashfield1 the rector's only daughter and the sister of the two lads ,i came to enquire for2 and ,i was told that they were not yet back from school1 but were expected in three days1 and that only that morning a letter came from them asking when ,i was likely to come and work the ,denes4 ,i comforted ,miss ,madge1 who at first feared the pick of the sport might be over before her brothers arrived1 by telling her that for the next four days ,jack and ,i should be busy doctoring holes1 and that during that time we could not away with boys or dogs1 as both were too noisy for the work4 ,miss ,madge took me round to the kennels to see some rough wire-haired terriers1 old friends2 also three new ones1 all supposed to be wonders2 and she told me she would arrange for her brothers to bring one day five small beagles belonging to a friend4 ,jack and ,i did our duty by the ham and eggs that night at the inn1 and the pipe in the old-fashioned chimney corner was very sweet2 and if the beds were a bit hard and knubbly1 we did not keep awake to think of them1 for we had both been up since day-break4 ,by eight o'clock the next morning we had finished breakfast1 given the dogs a few minutes' run to stretch their legs1 fed the ferrets that were not wanted1 and were on our way to the ,denes1 each with two strong male ferrets1 a spade1 and game-bag with cold meat and bread in it4 ,we were on our way to doctor the burrows1 and this is done by running a muzzled ferret that has first been smeared with a little spirits of tar down every hole1 with a line on it4 ,it is necessary to keep very quiet1 so as to get the rabbits to bolt4 ,we don't want to kill a single rabbit1 but only to disturb hole after hole1 bolt what rabbits we can1 and leave a nice sweet smell of tarred ferret behind us4 ,no time is lost4 ,jack goes one way and ,i another1 and every hole is visited till evening shades stop us2 then back home to supper and bed1 and at it again in the morning2 but on the second day we begin by visiting each hole we ferreted the day before1 stopping them tight down with sods1 and sticking a piece of white paper on the top of such stopped holes4 ,no fear of shutting in a rabbit1 as the smell of the tarred ferret will keep them out for days2 and no fear of their opening the stopping1 as the paper will drive them away4 ,for four days this work goes on1 and we are ready to wager there is not a hole in the cliffs or ,denes that is not doctored1 and not a rabbit that is not above ground4 ,it was ,wednesday night when we had finished1 and that evening the two boys from the ,rectory came down to the inn to see us and get instructions for the morrow2 but ,i was glad they did not stay long1 for we wanted to go to bed early1 so as to get a good night and yet be up betimes4 ,by eight o'clock next morning1 ,jack and ,i were already back from the ,denes1 after having run out one thousand yards of long nets4 ,the nets are in lengths of about one hundred yards1 and two feet six inches high1 made of fine string1 and each of the top and bottom meshes knotted on to a cord that runs the entire length4 ,to set these nets1 they are threaded on to a smooth stick1 four feet long1 and the stick with the nets on is thrown over a man's shoulder4 ,the man walks off with the nets along the border of the piece of ground to be enclosed1 while another1 after fixing the end of the first net fast to a starting stick1 follows behind4 ,as the man with the net proceeds1 he lets the net slip slowly off the stick on his shoulder1 piece by piece2 and1 as it comes down1 the man behind picks up the top line1 gives the net a shake1 and twists the line round the top of stakes previously placed in the ground about fifty yards apart1 taking care as he goes that the bottom of the net lies for a few inches on the ground4 ,in this way squares of gorse of about two hundred yards can be entirely enclosed1 and every rabbit inside them surrounded like sheep inside a fold4 ,our breakfast over1 we were soon out again with all our dogs 7except old ,chance1 who had been left at home on account of her age1 and also on account of her trick of always liking to go up to the carrier's each night to sleep71 and we had also two real good lurchers4 ,at the foot of the ,denes we met the boys from the ,rectory1 with a friend about their own age1 and the curate of the next parish with a business-like ash stick under his arm2 and among them they had mustered a pack of ten terriers1 some of which wanted to begin work by a fight with my dogs2 but it takes two to make a quarrel1 and my dogs knew better than to waste their strength in fighting when there was a day's work in front of them4 ,in a few minutes we were at the first piece of netted gorse--a real tearer1 close1 compact and a mass of thorns2 but what dogs or boys care for gorse thorns when rabbits are on foot8 ,so it is1 ,over you go1 boys6 ,hie in1 dogs6 ,roust them out there6 and the old dogs spring the nets and are at work in a minute1 while the young ones blunder and struggle in the nets1 and have to be lifted over4 ,the curate1 ,jack and ,i1 and the man who drove the cart with the nets1 and who will carry off the dead rabbits1 stand at the nets and take out and kill the rabbits that get caught2 and for the first hour we have as much as we can do1 and work our hardest4 ,many rabbits do get through the nets1 and others go back1 and these latter it is difficult to get into the nets a second time1 and they are killed by the dogs in the thick gorse4 ,yap6 yap6 yap6 ,hie in1 good dogs6 hie in1 young ones6 ,ah6 back there6 back6 no going over the nets6 ,would you8 ,look here6 hie there6 in you go6 ,yap6 yap6 yap6 all scurry1 rush and bustle2 and the ,rectory boys and their friend are all over the square at once1 and in ten minutes so tingle from innumerable pricks from the gorse that they are benumbed and feel them no more4 ,go1 ,fly1 go6 and a big hare dashes out1 with ,fly after it1 and both jump the net and make for another clump of gorse2 but ,fly has never been beaten since she was a puppy1 and soon returns with the hare in her mouth4 ,hie in1 dogs6 hie in6 ,there are more yet1 and we are bound to make a clean sweep2 and so the work goes on4 ,first one patch1 and then another1 till lunch-time1 which said lunch1 according to a long-standing custom1 comes up in a cart from the ,rectory2 but after snatching a hurried bit1 the man and ,i have to bustle away to shift the nets1 a work that keeps us hard at it for an hour and more2 but long before we have done1 the boys1 parson and dogs are at it again in one of the first patches we have surrounded1 and it is night and the moon is up before we have finished and picked up the nets4 ,we find on counting the bag that we have two hundred and seventy rabbits1 and feel content with our day's work4 ,on ,friday and ,saturday the same work1 and when we turned homewards on this last night1 it was as much as man1 boys or dogs could do to drag themselves along2 but we had killed six hundred and fifty rabbits in the three days and were well content4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,sunday was to us all a real day of rest1 and we enjoyed every minute of it1 and for once listened to a very long sermon without the fidgets4 ,the ,rectory boys came up for a chat in the afternoon1 so we let the dogs out and went down to the beach and strolled quietly about1 neither dogs nor humans indulging in anything like play--all were too stiff and sore to think of it4 ,we were all out again early on ,monday morning1 but without nets and taking only sticks2 and we spent a short day1 with a long lunch1 looking up outlying rabbits in the hedges of the farm at the foot of the ,denes2 and here the two lurchers1 who during the days at the nets had taken it easy and refused to face the gorse1 had the chief of the work1 for directly a rabbit was started by the other dogs1 it made straight off across the open for the gorse on the ,denes1 and the lurchers were the only dogs fast enough to catch them4 ,we finally had to give up work because the dogs of all sorts were too tired to move1 and also because the weather1 that had been fine and calm all the previous week1 began to break1 and before we reached shelter there was half a gale sending big green waves thundering on to the beach and carrying the salt spray far inland4 ,that night1 after ,jack was in bed and asleep1 ,i put on my hat and went out1 called by the noise of the waters4 ,i joined a group of weather-beaten hard-featured men dressed in thick blue jerseys and sou-wester hats1 who stood with their hands tucked deep into their trouser pockets1 watching the sea from behind the shelter of a boat stranded high up on the beach4 ,i got a civil word of greeting as ,i came up1 and then we all watched in silence1 for by this time the half gale had become a storm1 and it was only by shouting we could have made each other hear4 ,it was a wild weird scene1 awe-inspiring1 but intensely attractive--at least ,i found it so2 but then such scenes did not often come before me1 and ,i daresay my companions1 who were well used to being out on such a night1 only felt thankful they were safe on shore1 and thought with anxiety of those of their friends and neighbours who were out battling with the storm4 ,the moon when ,i reached the beach was nearly at the full and high up in the heavens1 but it shed a fitful light1 as each few seconds dark clouds and veils of mist flew across its face4 ,one moment the sea lay before us a dark black mass1 only marked along the beach by a broad strip of breaking1 foam-crested waves2 and the next it was a dancing1 tossing1 roaring sheet of ever-changing liquid silver2 or far away we would see the spray like pearls rising high in the air before the storm1 and at our feet the waves curled up like huge furious monsters1 dashing at the sands and shingle as if bent on destruction1 and then with a swirl sliding back1 a mass of foam1 to meet and join the next wave1 and with its help again come on to the attack4 ,over and over again ,i fancied ,i could hear the shrieks and groans of people in distress1 and ,i turned for confirmation of my fancies to the faces of my companions2 but all remained unmoved1 but bore the quiet determined look that assured me that1 had any unfortunate beings called for help from the midst of those wild waters1 at the risk of those men's lives it would unhesitatingly have been given4 ,once for a moment1 when a thin mist swept before the moon and made the light on the waters appear more like day than night1 ,i clearly saw on the horizon the upper part of a ship's masts1 with some sails bent to their yards1 and all heeled over as if the ship were then about to founder1 and ,i gave a loud exclamation2 but an old sailor put his hand on my shoulder and called in my ear1 ,all right1 master1 all right6 ,we have watched her for a quarter of an hour trying to make the point of the sands yonder1 and she is now past them and has an open sea4 ,she is as safe as you are now1 thank ,god2 but it was a near shave1 and we thought she and all in her were gone4 ,often since then in my dreams ,i have seen that wind-tossed sea1 and heard the roar of the waters and the screams of the storm1 and seen those masts and sails heeling over1 and have awoke with a start and dread fear in my heart4 ,i had been tired when ,i came in from work1 and ,i had a snug warm bed waiting for me1 and moreover ,i reasoned that watching a storm in the dead of night was no part of a rat-catcher's duty2 but ,i was so fascinated ,i could not tear myself away1 and ,i stood with my companions behind the boat till long after midnight4 ,then two other figures dressed like my companions joined us1 and it was only when they spoke that ,i recognised one as the parson of the parish1 and the other as the young curate who had helped us with the rabbits4 ,both asked a few questions of the sailors1 who seemed eager to give them information2 and then the rector1 turning to me1 said3 ,you will be perished by the cold if you stand here longer4 ,come with me1 and ,i will show you a picture of a different sort1 but yet one that ,i think will interest you4 ,i readily accepted and followed my friend1 who1 though far from a young man1 bore the buffeting of the storm manfully2 and he led me up through the village street1 and then turning down a short steep lane brought me to a little cove that was partly sheltered by a spit of rock that jutted out into the sea4 ,there1 such as it was1 was the harbour of the village1 and by the fitful light ,i could see some dozen fishing boats drawn up high on the beach above the force of the waves2 and beyond1 a cluster of low1 one-storied cottages and sheds1 with small boats1 spars1 timbers1 windlasses1 etc41 all denoting the home of fishermen4 ,from this cove1 early that morning1 two boats had sailed with their nets for the fishing grounds out beyond the sands1 and it was for these my friends behind the boat were patiently watching1 and it was to say a few words to cheer and comfort the wives and families of these men that the old rector had now come4 ,from a latticed window just in front of us a bright lamp shed its rays over the cove1 and the rector took me straight to the door of this house1 and having knocked and been told to come in1 he lifted the latch and ushered me inside4 ,the room was like hundreds of others along that coast1 the homes of the toilers of the deep1 and bore evident signs of being made by men more used to ships than stone or brick buildings4 ,it was a good large room1 very low1 with heavy rafters overhead1 which1 with the planks of which the walls were constructed1 had doubtless been taken from boats and ships that had served their time on the sea4 ,the open fireplace at the end1 with its wide chimney1 was the only part of the building not made of old ship timbers and planks1 and there was a strong smell of tar from these and from sundry coils of dark rope that were stowed away in a far corner4 ,the long table down the middle of the room was of mahogany and had seen better days in a captain's cabin4 ,the benches round the walls had served as seats on some big ship's deck2 and there were swinging lamps and racks hung overhead from the rafters1 with rudders1 boat-hook1 snatch-block1 belaying pins1 and various things ,i did not know the use of2 but all were neatly arranged4 ,there was a large arm-chair made out of a barrel set ready by the side of the hearth1 on which were spread clean flannel clothes to warm and air1 in readiness for the home-coming of the wet and tired husband4 ,in front of the fire1 attending to it and to three or four pots and kettles that simmered on the hearth1 stood a woman about thirty years of age--just an ordinary fisherman's wife1 strong and well shaped1 without beauty of feature1 but bright and intelligent looking2 and when a smile lit up her face1 it shed such a kindly ray that one felt that the husband in the little fishing boat on the storm-tossed deep might have his eyes fixed on the lantern burning in the window1 but it would be the light of the wife's smile that kept his hand steady on the helm and guided the boat1 and made him long to round the point and come to anchor4 ,on the other side of the hearth was another arm-chair1 also made out of a barrel1 but much smaller2 and in this1 packed tightly and snugly round with cushions1 half-sat1 half-reclined a boy about ten years of age2 but1 alas6 a pair of crutches leaning in the corner beside him at once told a sad tale4 ,i know the points and beauties of all sorts of dogs1 and always admire them1 but ,i am not much of a hand at the good points and beauties of men and women1 and as for boys1 it is rare ,i see anything but mischief written in their faces2 but somehow ,i could not take my eyes off the boy in the chair4 ,i suppose because it was so different to an other young face ,i had ever seen1 and so different to what one might expect to find amid the surroundings of a fisherman's cottage4 ,it was a dark1 delicate1 oval face1 like a girl's1 with finely cut features1 and a complexion as fair as the petals of an apple blossom2 but it was his great brown eyes and long eyelashes1 black as night1 that held the attention1 together with a look of deep patient suffering1 mingled with gentleness and love that lit all up1 and filled even the heart of a rough old rat-catcher like me with a feeling of deep pity and an intense desire to protect and befriend a small creature who looked too fragile1 too beautiful1 and too good for this old work-a-day world of ours1 and as if he were only tarrying for a short while before going to his eternal home1 where his features will be beautified by perfect love1 and will lose the look of suffering and pain4 ,the rector1 taking off his sou'-wester as he entered1 turned to the woman with a cheery voice1 and said1 ,well1 ,mary1 how are you and the boy8--how are you1 my man8 ,i happened to be passing 7just as if it were quite a common thing for a parson to be out on the loose at one a4m4 on a winter's night71 and ,i thought ,i would just call in to say that the men at the boats tell me that the bark of this gale is far worse than its bite1 and that it is a fair1 honest1 rattling gale that such good sailors as your husband care nothing for1 and that we may expect the boats in with the daylight1 so you may keep the pots boiling4 ,but why isn't that youngster snug in bed and asleep8 ,oh6 he can't sleep when the wind howls1 and ,jack is away6 ,why1 my boy1 ,jack will laugh at you when he comes home1 and say he don't want such big1 tired-looking eyes watching for him6 ,well1 it will be morning soon1 and1 please ,god1 ,jack will be here1 and will have popped you into bed himself before most of the world are up and about4 ,at this ,mary smiled2 and the little boy1 with a low laugh1 said3 ,jack knows ,mary and ,i are waiting for him4 ,jack says he can often see us1 and all we are doing1 when he is out at sea in a raging storm1 and the night is ever so dark2 and he'd feel bad1 ,jack would1 if ,i was not up to see him eat his supper2 and besides1 ,mary could not sit here alone and listen to the wind and sea1 and ,i am never tired and sleepy when waiting for ,jack4 ,besides1 ,jack says he must tell someone all he has done and seen while he gets his supper1 and ,mary is too busy after the nets and things1 so ,i sit here1 and ,jack tells me of such wonderful things3 it is just lovely to hear him4 ,the rector would not sit down1 and soon hurried me off to another cottage1 much such another as the first2 but instead of ,mary and the boy1 we found a great1 tall1 gaunt old woman1 sitting up before the fire1 waiting for her two grandsons1 who were away in the same boat with ,jack2 but to the rector's cheery1 hopeful words1 the woman answered with a bitter1 sharp1 complaining tongue3 ,i don't want no stop-at-home idle chaps to tell me what a storm is4 ,danger6 who says there's danger8 ,danger with a little puff of wind like this8 ,not but what both of those boys will be washed ashore one day as their grandfather and father were4 ,it's in the blood1 and trying for a lone woman4 ,drat the boys6 ,i told them not to go off with ,jack4 ,i could see plain for days that it was coming on to blow2 but oh1 no6 they know better than me1 who have lived to lose their father in such a storm as this1 and to see his boat with my own eyes go to pieces on the ,point as she came in1 and not a man saved1 and me left with them boys to keep4 ,god only knows how ,i did it1 and now they are that masterful they won't pay no attention to me4 ,and then1 as a hurricane of wind dashed at the door and windows and sent the smoke from the wood fire far out into the room1 the poor old thing started and turned to the night outside with a look of terror2 and1 as the storm rushed on1 and then there was a lull1 she threw her apron over her head and sobbed for fear and deep anxiety for her grandsons4 ,the rector comforted her with gentle words and praise of her pluck and nerves2 and as he and ,i returned to the beach1 he told me that the old woman had once been the prettiest girl for many miles round1 that when her boys were far too young to help her the father had been drowned by the upsetting of his boat on the ,point1 and from that day she had worked and toiled1 mending nets and selling fish in fair weather and foul1 often weary and half-starved1 but succeeding in the end to keep her old cottage over her head1 and to bring her boys up respectably and turn them out two of the smartest fishermen along the coast4 ,as we left the cottage the first tender light of the morning was paling the eastern sky far out to sea1 and hastening on to the ,point1 we could just make out a distant sail appearing now and then out of the departing darkness of the night1 and before half an hour was over the rector declared it to be ,jack's boat coming in fast before the wind4 ,all the village was astir in a minute1 old men and young women and children hurrying to the cove and making ready for the home-coming2 and in a few minutes the boat1 with ,jack holding the helm and the old woman's boys sitting crouched low down1 dashed past the ,point1 turned sharp into the cove1 and down in a moment fell the sail and the anchor-chain rattled out of the bows4 ,there was no cheering or noisy welcome or rejoicing1 for such scenes were the daily incidents in the life of the village2 but everyone lent a helping hand1 and in a few minutes ,jack and his men were on shore4 ,the old grandmother was there1 but took no notice of her grandsons1 who marched off to the cottage laden with oars1 etc41 where the old woman had just preceded them to put out the breakfast4 ,the rector and ,i turned to go home1 and as ,i passed the cottage where ,jack lived ,i glanced in and saw him standing on the hearth1 tall1 massive1 weather-beaten and rugged1 with the lame boy high up in his arms looking hard in his face1 and both man and child had such a happy contented smile on their faces that it did me good to see1 and ,i think may have rejoiced even the angels above4 ,when parting from me at the inn door1 the rector said that if ,i liked to step up to the rectory that evening after my supper he would find me a pipe of tobacco1 and tell me all that was known of the history of the little boy who had awakened such an interest in me1 for1 he added1 it is a very curious story4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,at eight o'clock1 having fed my dogs and ferrets and left my boy ,jack chatting in the harness-room with the rector's old coachman1 ,i found myself in a snug arm-chair1 pipe in mouth1 my feet on the fender1 and the rector sitting opposite me in his study1 he also enjoying an after-dinner pipe2 and after a chat over the events of the day and of the storm of the previous night1 the rector began the history of the poor lame boy at the cottage thus-- ,i dare say you remember that about eight years ago the ,irish question was giving the authorities much trouble and anxiety owing to the active turn it had then taken4 ,hideous murders were of daily occurrence in that unfortunate country4 ,dynamite was being used in ,london to destroy our public buildings1 and many of our statesmen were being tracked by paid assassins4 ,strict orders had been issued by the authorities to watch all our ports to prevent the landing from ,america of arms and infernal machines1 and both the police and ,customs officers were on the alert2 and yet1 in spite of all1 bloodthirsty1 cowardly dynamiters and assassins succeeded in sneaking into the country1 and every now and then perpetrated some hateful outrage4 ,well1 it was during this time that one ,november morning a queer-looking yacht-like vessel appeared in the offing1 and for two days kept standing about4 ,during the day-time it was well out in the offing1 but once or twice at night it was noticed by the coastguard and sailors to have come close in to land1 and altogether its movements were so mysterious that our suspicions were fully aroused1 and the officer of the coastguard telegraphed to the captain of the gunboat stationed at ,brockmouth to put him on the alert4 ,for some days after this nothing was seen of the yacht1 and our suspicions were lulled1 and life in our quiet little village had settled down to its usual routine1 when early one stormy morning the strange vessel was again seen close off the land1 and a boat manned by six men put off for the little harbour2 and just as it rounded the ,point and got into smooth water1 a dog-cart1 that we all recognised as one let out for hire in a town ten miles inland1 drove down to the beach4 ,beside the driver sat a tall1 thin1 dark man1 but the few people on the beach had only time to observe this and that he had the dress and appearance of a gentleman1 when he sprang from the cart and hurried to where the boat lay1 and without hesitating a moment or speaking to anyone he waded out through the low surf to the boat1 which at once left the harbour and made the best of its way to the yacht1 which as soon as all were on board hoisted all sail and was soon out of sight1 driven along by a storm that became in the course of the day as fierce a one as that of last night4 ,there was much talk on the beach among the fishermen and in the village among us all as to what the yacht could be and who the stranger was2 and we gathered from the driver of the dog-cart1 who had put up his horse at the inn to rest1 that he had been called by the porter at the railway station to drive the gentleman over2 but that he had not heard his name1 or what business brought him here4 ,the driver1 who was a sharp old fellow1 said the gentleman had chatted with him as he came along1 but kept pressing him to drive faster and faster1 and gave him five shillings above his fare to use his best speed1 and he added3 ',i don't know who he is1 or what his business may be1 but ,i know one thing--he is an ,irishman4 ,i can tell it by his tongue1 and by his queer-looking blue eyes and dark hair4' ,four and twenty hours passed1 and during that time many people1 ,i among the number1 did not go to bed1 for the storm which had sprung up with the departing yacht had blown itself into half a hurricane1 and there were fishing boats out1 which made us all anxious4 ,as we did last night1 or rather this morning1 ,i went round to a few of the fishermen's houses where there were anxious wives and mothers waiting for the absent1 and chatted with and cheered them1 and ,i was leaving the two cottages that ,i daresay you noticed close under the rock towards the ,point when the first streaks of morning began to appear in the east4 ,i love to see the day break at any time1 but ,i especially like to watch it over a stormy angry sea2 and therefore sheltering myself a little behind a boulder1 ,i stood gazing for a while1 when presently1 like a thing of life1 came plunging and driving from the very gates of the morning the same yacht that had so puzzled us4 ,on and on it came1 close-hauled to the wind1 straight for the narrow rock-bound jaws of the cove2 and ,i saw at a glance that1 if it kept its course1 it must strike on a group of rocks some half-mile out at sea2 and1 parson as ,i am1 ,i knew1 should she strike them1 no human aid could save the lives of those on board4 ,i hardly know what ,i did1 except that ,i took off my coat and waved it frantically1 and mounted the highest pinnacle on the rocky point to make myself seen by the fated crew2 but though at last ,i could actually distinguish two men at the wheel holding the vessel close to the wind1 yet they took no notice1 and came on and on1 leaping waves mountains high one minute1 and lost to sight the next in the trough of the seas4 ,scores of fishermen soon joined me1 and even their wives followed and crouched near1 behind the rocks2 and so fully was the ship's danger realized1 that from time to time a deep groan1 half of despair1 half prayer1 went up from all4 ,there was but one hope--could the yacht be kept close enough to the wind to lead those steering her to believe they could make the entrance of the harbour8 or would she be carried far enough to windward to make this impossible1 and so force those in charge to alter her course to avoid the stiff cliffs beyond8 ,ah1 no6 ,we saw as we watched that she was too good a vessel to fall off to leeward1 and those handling her too good sailors to allow her to do so1 for she flew over the waves like a beautiful bird for the entrance of the harbour1 and the sunken rocks were in her direct line6 ,suddenly as we watched1 with every sense strained to the utmost1 and our eyes rivetted on the doomed ship1 we heard away out to sea the boom of a big gun1 and then another1 and presently we saw emerging from the fast diminishing darkness a low1 long steamer4 ,at first we thought it was a ship also in deep distress1 making signals2 but the old sailors soon saw this was not so1 and declared it was a gunboat firing at the yacht in the hope of driving her on to the rock-bound coast1 and also to attract the attention of the coastguard1 so that1 should she reach the harbour1 those on board might be prevented from escaping the hands of justice4 ,it was a cruel service for ,british sailors to be employed on1 however necessary1 and hard to witness4 ,man hunting man to his death1 when the wind and waves already held open the portals of eternity before him1 and little short of a miracle could avert his doom6 ,a few minutes1 a few hundred yards1 and the yacht is on the rocks6 ,gallantly she glides along the side of that green wave and dashes the foam from her crest ere she plunges deep into the sea4 ,a monster wave rolls fast upon her as if to swallow her quivering form4 ,high1 high she rises1 till half her length is in the air over the crest of the wave1 and then down she sinks2 then the crash comes4 ,waves dash over her1 her masts fall1 her boats are wrenched from her sides1 and the next minute we see her1 a tangled mass of wreck and cordage1 firmly embedded on the pitiless rocks4 ,don't suppose our fishermen had been quietly watching this and doing nothing to help4 ,from the first1 preparations had been made4 ,our friend ,jack1 and a score of other active young men1 had shoved off the only boat on the beach that had the faintest hope of living in a storm like this1 and had been waiting in it close to the harbour mouth some minutes before the yacht struck4 ,but so small was the chance of that frail boat living in such a sea1 that many of the most experienced of the sailors made signals to prevent the men starting off to meet what they thought was certain death4 ,others thought it might be done1 and waved contrary signals2 and it was then that one saw what sort of women our sailors' wives are1 for though many standing there with us had near and dear ones in that boat1 and were suffering tortures of anxiety1 not a word was spoken1 but all was left for the men to do as they thought right4 ,as the yacht struck1 a deep1 wailing shout went up from all on land1 and those in the boat knew what had happened1 and the next moment we saw the boat plunge into the green waves at the harbour mouth4 ,for a moment it seemed to stagger and quail1 and then1 impelled by those hands and muscles of iron1 it was driven forward through the blinding spray into the angry sea beyond4 ,shall ,i ever forget how we watched that boat1 now mounted high on the top of a wave1 now for moments lost to sight1 the men all straining at their oars to the utmost1 and always creeping forward yard by yard8 ,all this time1 we on the ,point could see1 with increasing fears1 that the hope of the yacht holding together till reached by the rescuers was but a faint one4 ,each monster wave that rolled in lifted it from the rocks and left it to fall back with an irresistible force midst spray and foam1 that constantly wholly hid it from our sight2 and even before the boat started1 portions of the wreck were being tossed about on the sea1 making its passage even more precarious4 ,at one time a group of human beings was seen on the deck clinging to some cordage2 but when the next wave passed1 most of them had disappeared1 and we knew they had perished before our eyes4 ,it was difficult to distinguish objects midst the turmoil1 but it soon was whispered among us that some one or more persons were crouching behind the bulwarks1 probably lashed there for safety1 and from an occasional flutter of a red scarf or garment1 we feared there was an unfortunate woman among them2 and once1 as the waves receded from the deck1 we distinctly saw a man rise up from the group and look for a moment towards the approaching boat1 and then sink again beside his companions1 just as the incoming wave swept high over the poor shelter the stout bulwark afforded4 ,if the yacht could only hold together a few minutes longer6 ,but no6 once more it rises from its bed like some agonised1 dying monster1 and then as it falls back it parts in two1 and half of it is a drifting mass of planks and timber1 washing forward as if to meet the boat and destroy it4 ,a portion yet remained fixed on the rock1 and now and then we could still see the group crouching behind the bulwark4 ,on and on fought the boat1 now a little out of the direct line to avoid the wreckage1 till it was close behind the wreck and partially sheltered by the rampart it formed against the sea2 but at that moment all that remained of it was again lifted high in the air and dashed forward2 and when the wave had passed by1 there was only the frail boat with its brave crew to be seen on the surface4 ,we see it pause for a moment1 and then the oars all dip together1 and the boat dashes forward4 ,someone leans over the bows1 and there is a moment's struggle2 but the mist and foam prevent our distinguishing clearly what is going on4 ,after a while they evidently find there is nothing further that can be done2 the boat is put before the waves and comes dashing back towards land4 ,all on the ,point hurried down to the entrance of the harbour2 and many of the men1 with coils of rope in their hands1 stood ready to give assistance4 ,as each wave rolled under the boat1 it flew through the water1 and then sank back again hidden from our sight2 but nearer and nearer it came on1 till at last on the crest of a wave it darted sharp round the ,point1 and lay tossing in comparatively calm water4 ,steadily its crew rowed it up the little harbour1 and as it approached the beach scores of ready hands seized it and ran it high up on to dry land1 and a cheer rang out above the roar of the wind to welcome those snatched from the jaws of death4 ,but this was not responded to by the men in the boat4 ,they all looked stern and anxious2 and then we saw that ,jack1 who was crouched in the bows1 was supporting in his arms the slight form of a fair young girl1 with long1 soft1 tangled hair falling around her and forming a frame to the most beautiful saint-like face my eyes had ever seen4 ,her lips were parted in a smile1 and her eyes looked down on a small boy about two years old1 who was bound in her arms by a red scarf4 ,at first ,i thought she was fainting or falling asleep1 but the next moment--merciful ,heavens6--,i saw that the back of her sweet young head was battered in and bleeding1 and that she was already beyond the storms of life and the cruel raging of the destroying elements4 ,hard horny hands of rough women tenderly and deftly unwound the scarf from off the child2 and ,jack's wife1 ,mary1 pressing him to her bosom1 hastened with him to her cottage1 while the fair dead form was carried to a fisherman's house close by1 and a few days later was laid in its quiet grave in the old churchyard1 within sound of the ruthless sea that had so cruelly beaten the young life out of it4 ,you may easily find the grave1 for the fishermen out of their deep pity had a plain cross put over it1 with just the words ',jack's mother' and the date of her death carved upon it4 ,to this day1 and ,i fancy for ever1 the only name she will be known by is ',jack's mother1' for all connected with that ill-fated yacht remains a mystery4 ,not a living creature escaped1 except that frail little child4 ,many bodies were recovered during the next few days1 and among them the remains of the man who had arrived the previous day in the dog-cart2 but neither on any of the bodies1 nor among the wreckage that came ashore1 was anything found to lead to the identification of the yacht or its owners2 and though the account of the disaster appeared in all the papers and was the talk of the county1 yet no living soul has ever come forward to claim connection with the child or with any of those drowned4 ,it was thought at the time that the owner of the yacht was one of those desperate ruffians of ,irish extraction that have from time to time arrived here from ,america1 and that when he so hastily joined the vessel he was in fear of detection and was about to sail for ,america4 ,anyhow the yacht was sighted by the gunboat sent to look after it1 and chased and driven through the storm back to our little harbour1 it being doubtless the intention of the fugitive to attempt his escape by land if he could once reach the shore4 ,how miserably it ended you now know2 but you don't know quite all1 for ,i have not told you that1 on reaching their cottage1 ,jack's wife found that the little one breathed4 ,i have told you of the storm1 and ,i have told you of the wreck2 but words would fail to tell of all the love and care and attention that was bestowed for weeks--aye6 for years1 up to this day--on the little one4 ,only the recording angel can note such things1 and only the ,god of love can reward them4 ,not that either ,jack or his wife think of rewards either from earth or in heaven1 for their love is wholly unselfish and all-satisfying2 and were only the boy well and strong1 ,i am sure that in all these realms there could not be found a more perfectly happy trio than ,jack the fisherman1 little ,jack1 and his adopted mother4 ,unfortunately it was discovered that in some way the child's back had been injured in the storm4 ,for months he lay between life and death1 at last to recover partially only in health1 and without the use of his poor legs4 ,many friends have come forward with help1 and great ,london doctors have seen and attended the boy4 ,till lately they gave little hope1 but1 thank ,god1 there has been during the past year a slow but steady improvement1 and they now think in time the boy may grow strong in health1 but there is no hope of his ever walking without his crutches4 ,fortunately nature has bestowed many gifts on the poor child that compensate him somewhat for his loss--first1 an intensely loving1 unselfish nature2 and secondly1 a perfect voice and passionate love of music4 ,already he is carried each ,sunday to church by his father1 and his voice in the choir is celebrated for many miles round1 and has so impressed the organist at the cathedral at ,marshford that he either comes himself1 or sends one of his pupils1 to give the boy a lesson once a week1 and there is not a better violinist within the bounds of the county than our little ,jack is4 ,his father is so proud of the boy's gifts that ,i have known him1 when wind-bound in a harbour down the coast twenty miles away1 walk over the whole distance on a ,sunday morning and back at night rather than miss carrying the little fellow to church and hearing him sing there4 ,but it is eleven o'clock1 and we were up all last night4 ,what1 no grog8 ,well1 good night6 ,come and see me when you can1 and come and watch the sea with me in another storm1 and we will see if ,i can't rake up another story of the doings of the rough heroes of our neighbourhood who go down to the sea in ships4 ,good night1 good night6 ,and so one of the pleasantest evenings ,i had spent for a long while was over4 ,oh1 dear6 oh1 dear6 ,what a muddle1 what a hodge-podge ,i have made of this pen work6 ,i sat down thinking it would be quite easy to write a book on ,rat-catching for the ,use of ,schools1 and ,i have drifted off the line here1 toppled into a story there1 and been as wild and erratic in my goings on as even ,pepper would be with a dozen rats loose together in a thick hedge4 ,well1 ,i can't help it4 ,i am not much good at books1 and it ain't of much consequence1 for during the last few days ,i have heard from half a dozen head-masters of schools that they find the art of rat-catching is so distasteful to their scholars1 and so much above their intellect1 and so fatiguing an exercise to the youthful mind1 that they feel obliged to abandon the study of it and replace it once more by those easier and pleasanter subjects1 ,latin and ,greek4 ,well1 ,i am sorry for it1 very sorry4 ,i had hoped to have opened up a great career to many young gentlemen1 but have failed2 and ,i can only console myself with thinking that one can't make silk purses out of--you know what4 ,mind1 in this quotation ,i am not thinking of myself and my failure4 ,,london3 ,,printed ,,by ,,william ,,clowes ,,and ,,sons1 ,,limited1 ,,stamford ,,street ,,and ,,charing ,,cross4