64 MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN. 



earth in it ; and, hastening thither, I found 

 that the mole had arrived to complete the 

 work of the hackmen. In a half hour he 

 had rooted up the ground like a pig. I 

 found his run-ways. I waited for him with 

 a spade. He did not appear ; but, the next 

 time I passed by he had ridged the ground 

 in all directions, a smooth, beautiful ani- 

 mal, with fur like silk, if you could only 

 catch him. He appears to enjoy the lawn as 

 much as the hackmen did. He does not 

 care how smooth it is. He is constantly 

 mining and ridging it up. I am not sure 

 but he could be countermined. I have 

 half a mind to put powder in here and 

 there, and blow the whole thing into the 

 air. Some folks set traps for the mole ; but 

 my moles never seem to go twice in the same 

 place. I am not sure but it would bother 

 them to sow the lawn with interlacing snake- 

 grass (the botanical name of which, some- 

 body writes me, is devil-grass : the first time 

 I have heard that the Devil has a botanical 

 name), which would worry them, if it is as 



