WEASEL AND SHORT-TAILED VOLE 107 



little animal a common field vole came out from 

 the hedge and ran along the road, and knowing from 

 his appearance that he was being pursued, I stood 

 still to see the result. He had a very odd look: 

 instead of a smooth-haired little mouse-like creature 

 running smoothly and swiftly over the bare ground, 

 he was all hunched up, his hair standing on end like 

 bristles, and he moved in a series of heavy painful 

 hops. Before he had gone half-a-dozen yards, the 

 weasel appeared at the point where the vole had 

 come out, following by scent, his nose close to the 

 ground; but on coming into the open road he lifted 

 his head and caught sight of the straining vole, and 

 at once dashed at and overtook him. A grip, a little 

 futile squeal, and all was over, and the weasel dis- 

 appeared into the hedge. But his mate had crossed 

 the road a few moments before I had seen her run 

 by me and he wanted to follow her, and so presently 

 he emerged again with the vole in his mouth, and 

 plucking up courage ran across close to me. I stood 

 motionless until he was near my feet, then suddenly 

 stamped on the hard road, and this so startled him 

 that he dropped his prey and scuttled into cover. 

 Very soon he came out again, and, seeing me so 

 still, made a dash to recover his vole, when I stamped 

 again, and he lost it again and fled ; but only to return 

 for another try, until he had made at least a dozen 

 attempts. Then he gave it up, and peering at me 

 in a bird-like way from the roadside grass began 



