THE USE OF A DINNER-BELL. 207 



ing, the dinner-bell rung at the usual hour, but the 

 act of dining was postponed till six ; and instead of 

 the bell's having proclaimed me safe, it rang only to 

 deceive him. The " ruse" answered ; and I saw him 

 in my woods, but unfortunately, or perhaps fortu- 

 nately, accompanied by his daughters. Their pre- 

 sence prevented any interference at my hands. 



My keeper reported a litter of four cubs at the 

 stone quarries ; and the next day being a still and 

 sunny one, — the sort of weather during which young 

 things like to bask, — about three o'clock I crept softly 

 to the cliff above and peeped over. One cub was at 

 first only visible : he stretched and yawned as a boy 

 might do who had only just pulled off his nightcap ; 

 so I guessed the others would soon be on the stir. 

 A second little nose peeped out, and, the owner of it 

 having been propelled forwards by some pressure 

 from within, out he stumbled, and a third, and then 

 a fourth, cub pitched upon him with a little leap at 

 play. "The keeper is right," I said to myself; but 

 ah, ha! there are more yet! a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, 

 and at last twelve cuhs lay huddled together in the 

 sun, fair to be seen and fully in view. Two of them, 

 " Hunt and Roskell " not then being known to me, 

 appeared in my delighted eyes to have been made by 

 " Storr and Mortimer." I never saw such darlings ! 

 As is often seen in a litter of pigs, in this case there 

 Avere two not much bisraer than rats, and their 

 coats of a dappled blue, cubs in miniature, but so 

 weak that they staggered in their play. The whole 

 litter were mean in condition, the old vixen not 

 beinsf able to make enouo;h milk. Leavins; them to 

 solace in the sunbeam I stole away, and, having shot a 

 rabbit, came back and dropped a portion of it among 



