3 oo A FARMER'S YEAR 



So there the agonised and stricken creature rolled, wallowing in 

 a fringe of bloody foam, while continually the great butcher-fish 

 leapt high into the air, as he fell striking Behemoth such a blow 

 upon the head or back with his fearful tail that the sound of it 

 echoed far across the quiet sea. 



The last act of this tragedy of the deep was seen by no mortal 

 eye, for ere the end came our ship had passed out of sight of it. 

 But I think that it was near at hand, and that before we were hull 

 down the cruel sea-foxes and the swordfish, with their retinue of 

 sharks, were tearing the tongue and blubber in great lumps from 

 the throat and belly of the dying whale. 1 



Truly nature is a savage thing, and the Natural law, of which 

 St. Paul talks, an abomination. Here, by way of example, is a hedge- 

 side instance of it. The other day, while walking on the road, I 

 heard a sound of sharp, thin screams coming from the long grasses 

 of the bank. Peeping among them I saw a cruel sight, for 

 writhing there, in vain efforts to escape, was a half-grown frog, 

 whilst gnawing and worrying at its legs and hinder parts I per- 

 ceived a mole. Never before did I know that moles could be so 

 active ; for this one would let go, vanish amongst the tall grass 

 stems, then glide up swiftly and recommence his savage attack, that 

 caused the frog to cry out thus piteously in fear and pain. 

 Frightening him away with my stick, I examined the frog, which 

 now was lying exhausted on its back, its hind legs and stomach 

 chewed to a red pulp, so that I think it can scarcely have 

 recovered. Do moles, then, eat frogs, after the fashion of water-rats, 

 or was this onslaught inspired by some individual hate ? 



Another instance: some years back I was standing on the Gibbet 



1 Since writing the above passage I have read in a book by Mr. Louis 

 Becke, the chronicler of the Southern Seas, a thrilling account of a fight 

 between a thresher and a whale, which took place off the coast of New South 

 Wales. In this instance the thresher was assisted by two bulldog fish 

 of the whale tribe, called Orca gladiator. Perhaps in the battle I saw Orca 

 gladiator was at work also if he frequents the West Coast of Africa. Certainly 

 I saw fish leaping out of the water, and falling on to the back of the whale, 

 which looked to me as though they weighed many tons. 



