THE MAJOR, THE PARSON, AND HUMPHRIES. 315 



" I don't see what advantage it would be to 

 him to kill one." 



" Why, you know, Wilkins, a fox is likely 

 to take five or six rabbits out of his snares, in 

 one night, so he would lose by that, as I 

 should pay him so much a head for those he 

 killed. Therefore, he might kill foxes as well 

 as rabbits." 



"Well, sir," said I, "If you will let him 

 have the job, I will caution him about it." So 

 it was arranged that I should speak to Hum- 

 phries during lunch time, and tell Mr. Fowle 

 afterwards what I thought about it. The 

 upshot of it all was that Humphries remained 

 to kill down the rabbits. 



Mr. Fowle left the gentlemen soon after 

 lunch, and went into the house with me to 

 write me out a character, as I had to leave 

 early, being obliged to walk home to Chilton, 

 a distance of fourteen miles, that night. And 

 thus it was that Humphries obtained the job 

 of killing off the rabbits. 



