88 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



" If you means them big uns with sandy backs, 

 white bellies, and long tails, most like sleep-mice, 

 we has a middlin' lot. I be ketching 'em reg'lar 

 with tile - trap downfalls ; kills 'em dead they 

 does." 



"Now you listen to me : take this piece of new 

 pike-line, there is new snap-tackle on it, very strong 

 too; lash the line round the top of your pole for 

 about a foot down, you know how ; no pulling of 

 it off if you tried, and to-morrow evening, just 

 before the ducks come home, have your rod and 

 line ready, hook one of your dead wood-mice in 

 his back, drop him gently on the water where the 

 ducks swim over, and wiggle it to and fro. You 

 will have that jack directly the snap-tackle is in 

 him. Haul him out quick; that affair of yours 

 would pull a donkey out." 



" Ah, I sees it now ; I never tried anything on 

 the top where he took them ducklings from. I'll 

 try that caper fast enough." 



After getting my friend away from "mother's 

 wholesome mead," and bidding my new acquaint- 

 ance good-night, we started on our homeward way ; 

 but not through the woods Waggle sagely re- 



