LIFE OF THE KAT-CATCHEE. 55 



driven them all down the drains, and after 

 making the drain good they cannot get back 

 again into the building. 



Now, in a case like this I always trap them 

 two or three nights and catch a few, just to 

 give satisfaction to those engaging me. 



Sometimes gentlemen will write inviting me 

 to meet them at a certain farm, and bring my 

 ferrets and a good supply of nets, alleging that 

 there are "hundreds of Eats in the stacks." 

 I just relate this to indicate how anyone not 

 regularly amongst Eats can easily be deceived 

 as to their numbers, for a couple of Eats on 

 the thatch of a stack, especially when they 

 have young ones, will probably have twelve 

 holes eaten in the thatch and underneath the 

 stack, and anyone not understanding their 

 habits would think there were a lot of Eats? 

 in it. 



And it is much the same with workpeople; 

 if they chance to see two or three Eats at 

 once, they will say there are " scores" of them. 

 You would also be surprised to see the awful 

 dread that tenants have of the Eat-catcher in 

 private houses. When ferreting these places 

 they think that if a Eat-catcher has once put 

 his ferrets under the floor they will never see 

 another Eat in the place ; but depend upon it 

 they are very bad to catch in these places. 



