104 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



there a lot o' them jacks, and no room fur 'em to 

 rush about. I hits the big uns behind the head, 

 they was quite enough fur me the rest could go. 



" My father's told me lots o' times as the one 

 afore Kindey wus as bad concarnin' fishin' as he 

 is; and this 'ere young un what's at school now, 

 is comin' along just the same, so I've heerd. But 

 it ain't no use ; fish is wild things, and if we wants 

 'em, we has 'em." 



Presently one of the plumes of oat-grass quivers, 

 bows down, and then the stem falls. After that 

 another in the same manner, then there is a stir 

 on the weed-covered water-run something is strug- 

 gling to get across it. It is a water-vole, with two 

 stems of oat-grass carried crossways in his mouth. 

 These voles are vegetable-feeders, and all the day, 

 and it may be for part of the night, they are work- 

 ing hard, cutting and carrying. 



" Why take all this trouble to get into a danger- 

 ous swamp and out again ? " some of my readers 

 may ask. It was to see where the wild ducks and 

 the teal came to feed, sifting and spattering with 

 their sensitive bills for the seeds of the wild grasses, 

 and the reeds that ripen and fall in the waters, 



