76 THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 



full drive, before you could turn about or whistle, to 

 settle down, thick as currants in a Christmas-pudding, 

 upon the tall beech-trees right opposite my neighbour's 

 fallow, who marches about, gun in hand, in evident 

 apprehension, behind the drill that is depositing wheat, 

 not a whit grateful for all the good they did him, 

 picking up the larvae, while the ground was being 

 ploughed, but only anxious to pot them vengefully, 

 wholesale, now ; of which beneficent intention they are, 

 however, sufficiently aware, and so they look on list- 

 lessly during the pauses of their debate, ever and anon, 

 with a sweep, uprising, should he discharge his weapon, 

 again to wheel, advance, retire, as though 



* * Forming swiftly in the ranks of war. " 



To-morrow, at sunrise, my good friend, shall be the 

 retributive foray. Now they will not spare you, as they 

 might have done had your ingratitude been less trans- 

 parent. Have your supper light, then let your night- 

 cap orders be : 



** You must wake, and call me early ; call me early, shepherd dear ! 

 To-morrow '11 be the plaguiest time of all the glad new year." 



Shall we, or shall we not ? that is the question. 

 Well, the fact is, there has occurred another great 

 invasion of moles, not a whit the less, apparently, for 

 the subtraction of the lot we paid some coppers a-head 

 last spring, to see strung upon a willow wand. I very 

 much doubt whether we shall take any measures against 

 them at all this season. Their runs are certainly detri- 

 mental to the light-soil meadows hereabouts ; but, on 

 the other hand, you cannot kick over one of their 

 mounds, without finding within the crustaceous dUhria 

 of many a mischievous grub. 



