THB WHITE ERMINE 271 



ermine! There is a great stirring up of the muddy 

 bottom. The water-rat has tried to hide in the under- 

 tangle; and the ermine has not only dived in pursuit 

 but headed the water-rat back from the safe retreat of 

 his house. Up comes a black nose to the surface of the 

 water. The rat is foolishly going to try a land race. 

 Up comes a long neck like a snake s, the head erect, 

 the beady eyes on the fleeing water-rat then with a 

 splash they race overland. The water-rat makes for a 

 hole among the rocks. Ermine sees and with a spurt 

 of speed is almost abreast when the rat at bay turns 

 with a snap at his pursuer. But quick as flash, the er 

 mine has pirouetted into the air. The long writhing 

 neck strikes like a serpent s fangs and the sharp fore 

 teeth have pierced the brain of the rat. The victim 

 dies without a cry, without a struggle, without a pain. 

 That long neck was not given the ermine for nothing. 

 Neither were those muscles massed on either side of 

 his jaws like bulging cheeks. 



In winter the ermine s murderous depredations are 

 more apparent. Now the ermine, too, sets itself to 

 reading the signs of the snow. Now the ermine be 

 comes as keen a still hunter as the man. Sometimes 

 a whirling snow-fall catches a family of grouse out 

 from furze cover. The trapper, too, is abroad in the 

 snow-storm; for that is the time when he can set his 

 traps undetected. The white whirl confuses the birds. 

 They run here, there, everywhere, circling about, bury 

 ing themselves in the snow till the storm passes over. 

 The next day when the hunter is going the rounds of 

 these traps, along comes an ermine. It does not see 

 him. It is following a scent, head down, body close to 

 ground, nose here, there, threading the maze which 



