224 IN BERKSHIRE FIELDS 



sickle-blade through a fertile meadow. This meadow 

 was always under cultivation, and accordingly 

 the chucks burrowed into the banks of the border- 

 ing swale, often between the roots of the sycamore 

 and sassafras trees in such a way that the hole could 

 not be made larger by a dog. Sallying forth from 

 these holes, one family could easily eat all the tur- 

 nips or cabbages for a space of two or three rods. 

 When twoscore families were at work, it is easy to 

 see the extent of their destruction. But it wasn't 

 easy to shoot them while they were feeding, because 

 at the approach of danger they would scamper into 

 their holes. Consequently we resorted to strategy. 

 Our metho^ was as follows: carrying our guns 

 nonchalantly, we would stamp along directly over 

 a hole where we had seen a chuck enter, whistling 

 or talking as if we had no idea of hunting. Then, 

 when we had passed the hole a good thirty feet, we 

 would suddenly stop and noiselessly and cautiously 

 face about. Very frequently a muzzle would be 

 poking up out of the hole, for as soon as the danger 

 is past the chuck has a habit of sticking his head 

 out to take a sniff of his enemy. Then we would 

 blaze away. Often we would fire anyhow, aiming 

 into the sand or grass at the hole mouth, on a chance. 

 The boy who had the most skins tacked up on the 

 barn door at the end of a season, or at least the 

 most tails, if he was too lazy to skin his prey, was 

 something of a hero. I cannot now remember what 

 we ever did with the skins after they were cured. 

 I fancy that there was a superstition that the " fur 

 man" would buy them, just as the "Bird and Pet 

 Store" was going to buy the baby chucks. 



