Ferreting 207 



John, his teeth set and staring at a hole which had no 

 net, his great hands open ready to pounce instantly 

 like some wild animal on its prey. In an instant the 

 rabbit bolted — he clutched it and clasped it tight to 

 his chest. There was a moment of struggling, the 

 next the rabbit was held up for a moment and then 

 cast across his knee. 



It was always a sight to see Little John's keen 

 delight in ' wristing ' their necks. He affected utter 

 unconsciousness of what he was doing, looked you in 

 the face, and spoke about some indifferent subject. 

 But all the while he was feeling the rabbit's muscles 

 stretch before the terrible grasp of his hands, and an 

 expression of complacent satisfaction flitted over his 

 features as the neck gave with a sudden looseness, 

 and in a moment what had been a living straining 

 creature became limp. 



The ferret came out after the rabbit ; he imme- 

 diately caught it and thrust it into his pocket There 

 were still two ferrets in — one that was suspected to 

 be gorging on a rabbit in a ciil de sac, and the other 

 lined, and which had gone to join that sanguinary feast. 

 The use of the line was to trace where the loose ferret 

 lay. * Chuck I the show'l, measter,' said Little John. 



I gave the ' navigator ' tool a heave over the hedge ; 

 it fell and stuck upright in the sward. Orion handed 



