Ferreting. 211 



So we left the boy to help Little John at the next 

 bury a commission that made him grin with delight, 

 and suited the other very well, since the noisy guns 

 were going away, and he could use his nets. 



We took the lined ferret with us, and started after 

 the pheasant. Just as we approached the copse, the 

 spaniel gave tongue on the other side of the hedge. 

 Orion had tied him up to a bush, wishing to leave him 

 with Little John. But the spaniel tore and twisted 

 till he got loose and had followed us keeping out of 

 sight till now crossing the scent of a rabbit he set up 

 his bark. We called him to heel, and I am afraid he 

 got a kick. But the pheasant was alarmed and rose 

 before we could properly enfilade the little copse, 

 where we should most certainly have had him. He 

 flew high and straight for the fir plantations where it 

 was useless to follow. 



However, \ve leaped the brook and entered the 

 keeper's territory under shelter of a thick double- 

 mound. We slipped the lined ferret into a small 

 bury, and succeeded in knocking over a couple of 

 rabbits. The object of using the lined ferret was 

 because we could easily recover it. This was pure 

 mischief, for there were scores of rabbits on our own 

 side. But then there was just a little spice of risk in 

 this, and we knew Willum would gloat over it. 



