CH. VI.] A Laid-up Ferret. 99 



and take little notice beyond a toss of the 

 head at the carter's whip as he walks beside 

 them with a heavy step cracking it. The 

 only brisk thing to be seen is the doctor's 

 gig as it whisks past. 



"Hie up, dogs ! shake yourselves and don't 

 go to sleep ! Come over, Jack ; I have had 

 enough of this brook ; and if we don't find at 

 the clay-pits, home we go." And we trudge 

 off to some ponds half a mile further away. 

 They are well-known to both men and dogs, 

 and the latter bolt on ahead and arrive first ; 

 and when we come up we find them all 

 clustered round a hole in a high bank 'midst 

 thick dripping bushes. In goes a ferret, but 

 not in the way I like to see. There is no 

 hurry, no ecstatic wriggle of the tail as it 

 slowly draws itself into the hole. Then all 

 stand round expecting to see a rat take a 

 header into the pond ; but no, five minutes 

 pass, and Pepper begins to move, and is told 



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