WILD LIFE IN WINTER. 287 



shoulders, ears laid close, and his bright eyes looking 

 all ways at once. 



" Stomp (stamp) him out ! " is the order shouted ; 

 there is no silence now. Out bolts the rabbit, and the 

 next instant he is spinning in the air overhead, sent 

 up by a powerful kick from one of the brigade ; then 

 he falls dead on the ground. I have seen one mem- 

 ber of that leather brigade drive his foot a large 

 foot it was clean through the ceiling of the country 

 inn where I was staying, and bring down a yard of 

 lath and plaster fixed round his enormous laced-up 

 boot. The consternation of the good host when he 

 heard the clatter and saw the wreck of his ceiling, 

 with the roars and yells of laughter from the com- 

 pany, made a pretty to-do. The culprit, a young 

 woodland giant, looked first at the hole in the ceiling, 

 then at his boot, and a grin spread over his pleasant 

 face. " George/' he said to the landlord, " that 'ere 

 pot o' ale was middlin' strong ; if you likes to stand 

 another I'll kick t'other part down ; and then, old 

 feller, you can hev a bran-new ceiling put up." The 

 wrath of the host was a sight to see. 



I can imagine I hear some of my readers saying, 

 " What a brutal way of killing a defenceless animal ! " 



