Little Warhorse 
many carried rattles or horns and tins to make 
a noise. A number of the buggies trailed a 
string of old cans or tied laths to scrape on the 
wheel-spokes, and thus add no little to the 
deafening clatter of the drive. As Rabbits 
have marvellously sensitive hearing, a noise 
that is distracting to mankind, is likely to prove 
bewildering to them. 
The weather was right, and at eight in the 
morning the word to advance was given. The 
line was about five miles long at first, and there 
was a man or a boy every thirty or forty yards. 
The buggies and riders kept perforce almost 
entirely to the roads; but the beaters were 
supposed, as a point of honor, to face every- 
thing, and keep the front unbroken. The ad- 
vance was roughly in three sides of a square. 
Each man made as much noise as he could, and 
threshed every bush in his path. A number of 
Rabbits hopped out. Some made for the lines, 
to be at once assailed by a shower of stones that 
laid many of them low. One or two did get 
through and escaped, but the majority were 
swept before the drive. At first the number seen 
was small, but before three miles were covered 
233 
