Rabbit Shooting. 93 



three guns at the outside is quite enough for the sport, and as many- 

 ferrets, for one will often lay up with the rabbit if he refuses to bolt 

 for hours. Then, proceeding to the bank or copse where the rabbits 

 are, the keeper selects a hole which has been used lately, and puts in 

 a ferret. The guns keep watch over the adjacent holes, from any of 

 which a rabbit or two, or even more, may bolt at any moment. Entire 

 silence is requisite ; any loud talking, stumping about, or other disturbance, 

 will keep the rabbits at home. Presently, deep in the bowels of the 

 earth, you hear a rumble, rumble, as the quarry stampedes before the 

 dreaded intruder. "Now, look out. Ah! there he is" — bang! — "Missed 

 him, by Jupiter 1 and he's into another hole, whence wild horses 

 wouldn't dislodge him" — bang! — "Ah! there was another. Your friend 

 has turned him over, and, lo ! there is Master Ferret looking out of 

 the hole the rabbit has vacated. Pick him up, boy, and come along." 

 And you move on to another hole. Here, haply, you hear rumble, rumble, 

 many times ; but bunny won't bolt, so you have to leave the boy to 

 watch for the ferret, and go on to another. 



Thus you continue picking up one or two every here and there, and if 

 the rabbits bolt well it is just a chalk or two better than doing nothing. 

 Where there is a copse, however, the best fun is to ferret the holes and 

 then stop them, and, having got the rabbits out, to run a few terriers 

 through the underwood, and stand at the holes to pot the rabbits as 

 they come down; and it is a very amusing sight if the rabbit charges 

 straight at you, dodges between or round your legs, and pops into a hole 

 just behind you which happens to be open. I saw one play a relative of 

 mine that trick once, and I never saw a man look so foolish. 



Hedgerow shooting at rabbits is very good fun, too, with a sharp little 

 terrier to rattle them out. " There he is ! " " No ! here he is ! " " Gone 

 back ! " Rush, rattle, and out he pops. Bang ! " Missed, by Jove ! " 

 In the hedge again, out the other side for half a second. Bang ! 

 " Missed again, by the piper ! Here he is ! Here, Grip ! Grip ! Grip 1 

 Here, good lad ! This is where I saw him last. What is the dog doing ? " 

 "Scratching at a hole. Gone to ground, by jingo !" "Come away, dog ! 

 soon find another," and so on. 



