4 Introduction. 



voice spoke at last, and my destiny was 

 settled. 



With the modest capital of live shillings 

 given me by my father, and a mongrel 

 terrier, given me by a poacher who had to go 

 into retirement for killing a pheasant and 

 half killing a keeper, I began my career as 

 a — but I had better give you one of my pro- 

 fessional cards. Here it is — 



Bob Joy, 



RAT-CATCHER 



To H.RH. The Prince of Wales, 

 The Nobility and Gentry. 



I had a struggle at first. Rats, full-grown 

 ones, only fetched twopence each, and the 

 system adopted by farmers of letting their 



