The Mouchers Calendar 125 



powder as you wouldn't hear across one field, especially 

 if it's a windy night. I had a air-gun, as was took 

 from me, but he weren't much go : I likes a gun as 

 throws the shot wide, but I never shoots any but 

 roosters, unless I catch 'em standing still. 



' All as I can tell you is as the dodge is this : you 

 watch everybody, and be always in the fields, and 

 always work one parish till you knows every hare in 

 un, and always work by yourself and don't have no 

 mates.' 



There were several other curious characters whom 

 we frequently saw at work. The mouchers were 

 about all the year round, and seemed to live in, or 

 by the hedges, as much as the mice. These men 

 probably see more than the most careful observer, 

 without giving it a thought. 



In January the ice that freezes in the ditches 

 appears of a dark colour, because it lies without inter- 

 vening water on the dead brown leaves. Their tint 

 shows through the translucent crystal, but near the 

 edge of the ice three white lines or bands run round. 

 If by any chance the ice gets broken or upturned, 

 these white bands are seen to be caused by flanges 

 projecting from the under surface, almost like stands. 

 They are sometimes connected in such a way that 

 the parallel flanges appear like the letter ' h ' with the 



