8o WILD NATURE'S WAYS. 



mence to shriek piteously not far away, and 

 hurrying in the direction of the sound, was 

 astonished to discover that the wary bird had 

 been caught by a stoat. His presence put an 

 end to the encounter, and the bird (which had 

 been rolling over and over upon the ground, a 

 confused bundle of feathers) flew away, apparently 

 little the worse for its perilous experience. 



In all the course of my observations of wild 

 Nature, which has been by no means inconsider- 

 able, only twice have I seen stoat and rabbit 

 encounters. 



In one case I arrived upon the scene just in 

 time to witness the beginning of the struggle 

 near to some burrows, ran to a house about one 

 hundred yards away for a gun, and got back, to 

 find the bloodthirsty murderer in a steel trap 

 and bunny gone. 



The other struggle of which I was an eye- 

 witness ended less happily for the rabbit. 



Immediately behind Caterham Valley, wherein 

 I reside, is another waterless little ghyll, given 

 over almost entirely to the propagation of rabbits 

 and the learning of marksmanship by men who 

 are not likely to be asked to test their skill upon 

 the rabbits, but upon their own kind in the event 

 of war. 



During certain days of the week, in spring 

 and summer, it is much used, and not a safe 



