18 BEVELATIONS OF A EAT-CATCHEE. 



threshing their corn, and then the value of the 

 Eats are worth the day's work to the Eat- 

 catcher. 



This is all right as far as it goes, but when 

 one comes to consider the yearly expenses of 

 the Eat-catcher it will be found that they are 

 very heavy. Now, first of all it will cost, at 

 the least, 5 annually for the wear and tear of 

 traps alone, then there is the wear and tear of 

 nets ; two dog licences ; always three or four 

 ferrets to keep (and ferrets are often lost down 

 drains or killed by Eats); also sundry other 

 expenses, such as store cages, &c. Then, 

 again, the Eat-catcher always has to pay a 

 man to help him. 



I don't call Bat-catching a trade only: I 

 maintain that it is a profession, and one that 

 requires much learning and courage. I have 

 found this out when I have been under a 

 warehouse floor, where a lot of Eats were in 

 the traps, and I could not get one man out of 

 50 to come under the floor and hold the 

 candle for me, not to mention helping me to 

 take the live Eats out of the traps. I just 

 relate this because at some places where we go 

 and where we catch perhaps 30 Eats, the 

 first thing they say when the bill is presented 

 is "Why, you have got 15s. worth of live Eats! " 

 They don't think of the damage 30 Eats can do 



