Introduction, 



rat-killing, for, say, three pounds a year for 

 a farm of 400 acres, almost broke me ; 

 but I stuck to my profession, and do not 

 regret having done so. 



In those days, and during all my active 

 life, I have had to work to live, owing to the 

 constant scarcity of rats ; but if I managed to 

 make a living then, what might not be done 

 now, when Nature has sent the rat to our 

 homesteads by thousands, and farmers and 

 others are being eaten off the face of the 

 earth by them ? 



Why, my dear young friends, your fortune 

 stares you in the face, and you have only to 

 stretch out your hand and grasp it — no ! I 

 have made a mistake : you have a little more 

 to do — you have, first, to learn your profession, 

 which is no easy matter ; and to enable you 

 to do this, 1 intend writing the following 

 book for the use of schools (which I here- 

 with dedicate to the Head Masters of Eton, 





5' i^ll «s 



