CH. IV.] Starting Rats from a Drain. 79 



pipe out on the heel of my boot, give a 

 stretch, grasp the spade, and off we go to 

 finish our job. 



For three hours we work our way on, and 

 a Hne of dead rats on the headland marks 

 our progress, till at last we reach the bottom 

 of the field and our bank is done. Pepper 

 has got three more bites, another ferret is 

 done for by a nip on the nose, and Jack has 

 torn his trousers and is very dirty ; but there 

 is yet the drain pipe under the gate to attend 

 to, and it is getting on in the day. I cut 

 three or four long sticks and tie them tightly 

 together, and then to the end of this fasten 

 a good hard bunch of grass, and back we go 

 to the drain. I go to one end with Grindum 

 and Pincher, whilst Jack takes the sticks, 

 Pepper and Wasp to the other end, and 

 gently and slowly shoves the sticks through. 

 Two venturesome rats bolt at my end and 

 are killed. When the sticks appear I grasp 



