82 Studies in Rat Catching, [ch. iv. 



carts" bustle past in a hurry to get home 

 and fetch up the supper. Farm horses are 

 drinking in the pond or browsing on the rank 

 grass at the side ; sparrows are chattering in 

 the old alder bush before going to bed in the 

 ivy on the church ; pigs in the homestead 

 are calling for their supper ; the cows pass us 

 coming home to be milked ; rooks fly steadily 

 to the old elm trees near the Manor ; and a 

 robin pipes clear and shrill on the roof of the 

 shed in the cottage garden. There are par- 

 tridges calling out ** cheap wheat " in the 

 stubble, and pewits crying on the meadows. 

 Cock pheasants noisily flutter up to roost in 

 the firs, and the old doctor standing at his 

 door makes soft music with his violin. 



The parson joins us and has a cheery 

 word for all, especially the dogs, who are all 

 his personal friends ; and so we jog on and 

 reach the village, where the wood smoke 

 rises straight in a blue cloud from the cottage 



