2o6 The Amateur Poacher 



seemed to positively fill the mouth with a rough acid. 

 Overhead light grey clouds, closely packed but not 

 rainy, drifted very slowly before a N.E. upper current. 

 Occasionally a brief puff of wind came through the 

 bushes rustling the dead leaves that still remained on 

 the oaks. 



Despite the cold, something of Little John's intense 

 concentration communicated itself to us : we waited 

 and watched with eager patience. After a while he 

 got out of the ditch where he had been listening with 

 his ear close against the bank, and asked me to pass 

 him the ferret-bag. He took out another ferret and 

 lined it — that is, attached one end of a long string to 

 its neck, and then sent it in. 



He watched which way the ferret turned, and then 

 again placed his head upon the hard clay to listen. 

 Orion had to come and hold the line, while he went 

 two or three yards farther down, got into the ditch 

 and once more listened carefully. ' He be about the 

 middle of the mound you,' he said to me ; 'he be 

 between you and I. Lor ! look out' 



There was a low rumbling sound — I expected to 

 see a rabbit bolt into one of my nets. I heard Little 

 John moving some leaves, and then he shouted, * Give 

 I a net, you — quick. Lor! here be another hole : he's 

 coming ! ' I looked over the mound and saw Little 



