^4 Studies in Rat Catching, [ch. ii. 



get heavy and feel as if it were a grand- 

 father's clock hanging on your back. Then 

 the ratting spade was engaged instead of 

 being free to mump a rat on the head in a 

 hurry, or point out a likely hole to the dogs. 

 When a ferret was wanted, all the others 

 would dash out and have to be hunted about 

 to be re-caught. Now and then the lids 

 came open and let all out ; and now and then 

 I let the box slip off the spade and fall to 

 the ground, and then I felt sorry for the 

 ferrets inside it ! No, I have always carried 

 my ferrets in a good strong canvas bag, with 

 a little clean straw at the bottom, and a 

 leather strap and buckle stitched on to it with 

 which to close it. Don't tie the bag with a 

 piece of string — it is sure to get lost ; and 

 don't have a stiff buckle on your strap that 

 takes ten minutes to undo. Remember the 

 life of a rat may depend upon your getting 

 your ferret out quickly. Never throw the bag 



