200 The Amateur Poacher 



a larger net right across the top of the bank, so that 

 if a rabbit did escape he would run into this. To 

 be still more sure he stretched another similar net 

 across the whole width of the mound at the other end 

 of the bury. 



He then undid the mouth of the ferret bag, hold- 

 ing it between his knees — the ferrets immediately 

 attempted to struggle out : he selected two and 

 then tied it up again. With both these in his own 

 hands, for he would trust nothing to another, he 

 slipped quietly back to Orion's side, and so soon as 

 he saw I was standing well back placed them in 

 different holes. 



Almost the next instant one came out my side 

 disarranging a net. I got into the ditch, hastily reset 

 the net, and put the ferret to an adjacent hole, lifting 

 up the corner of the net there for it to creep in. 

 Unlike the weasel, a ferret once outside a hole seems 

 at a loss, and wanders slowly about, till chance brings 

 him to a second. The weasel used to hunting is no 

 sooner out of one hole than he darts away to the 

 next. But this power the ferret has partially lost 

 from confinement. 



For a moment the ferret hesitated inside the hole, 

 as if undecided which of two passages to take : then 

 he started, and I lost sight of his tail. Hardly had I 



