188 THE HUNTING-FIELD. 



"put down five suvs agin the tyke; if lie don't 

 kill five rats in half that time^ he's yourn for 

 nothing ; if he does^ the suvs be mine in course/' 



" You had better not/' said I to my guest ; 

 but he had said done^ so Jack slyly said, " Too 

 late, master, a bet's a bet in all honour." 



We now repaired to the granary, where a 

 vacant bin was the field of action. Jack drew 

 from the basket a wire cage, that fitted inside it, 

 in which w^ere perhaps five-and-twenty rats. 

 Jack, without any apparent caution, thrust his 

 hand in at the top and brought one out, held in a 

 peculiar manner, so as to prevent his turning his 

 head, and put him into the bin; he thus caught 

 four. The fifth, a fine old grey fellow, made an 

 attempt to turn and bite. " Would ye,'^ said Jack, 

 giving him a squeeze with his thumb that made 

 the rat's eyes nearly start from their sockets, and 

 among the rest he went. Jack held the little 

 dog on the edge of the bin, struggling, and fairly 

 screeching with impatience. 



" Now, master," says Jack, " you keep time ; 

 I'll trust to your honour. Say when^s the time, 

 master." 



I waited till the seconds hand of my watch 

 was on the unit point : " Now," said I. 



He slid the dog down. Not a sound was now 

 heard : he took each rat in the right place, gave 

 him one craunch and a shake, threw him doA^-n, 



