AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



21 



mind every body's business but their own — and who take 

 an especial fancy to vex quiet people, particularly Anglers 

 —followed, after some time, in the wake of the old gen- 

 tleman, to watch his motions, as he said. At last he found 

 him, seated on his favourite rock, close by the water's 

 edge, with his rod stuck in the bank, resting between his 

 knees. The frog, tired of playing in the water, had 

 crawled out— and prevented by the line from going fur- 

 ther, was sitting very gravely alongside of the " Honest 

 Angler" — who was fast asleep! — dreaming, no doubt, of 

 "monstrous fine bites." 



I have seen a pencil sketch of "the pair;" it is graphic 

 and amusing — 



" Oh! the jolly Angler's life, 

 It is the best of any." 



Cincinnati, June 8th, 1833. 



Walton. 



B. 



CURIOUS CONTEST BETWEEN A FERRET AND 

 A POLECAT. 



It was a fine afternoon in autumn, when I took my 

 fowling-piece, slung a couple of shooting-bags at my back, 

 put a well sized buck ferret in one of them, and hastened to 

 an extensive wood, amidst the high mountains of Wales, 

 which was well stocked with rabbit-burrows. 



This to me is a species of sport in which I delight. My 

 little industrious ferret was neither expensive nor trouble- 

 some to keep, and none of my dogs were surer of finding 

 their game than he. 



I entered upon my ground with the utmost caution, lest 

 those rabbits which are already out of their burrows should 

 be too soon frightened into them; for when this is the case 

 it is hard to make them bolt, and they will suffer them- 

 selves to be gnawed by the ferret before they will quit 

 their hiding places. 



Arriving on my ground, I hid myself, and waited until 

 I saw two or three rabbits go of their own accord into one 

 burrow. I then, with the least possible noise, got to the 

 spot, and let the ferret in unmuzzled. 



This is not a usual method, for muzzling is generally 

 preferred. But I found that when the rabbit refuses to 

 bolt, and has taken refuge at the further end of his burrow, 

 the ferret will remain in, scraping the fur off his back with 

 his paws, and after he has exhausted his strength in so 

 doing, will lay down to rest and sometimes sleep. On the 

 other hand, when unmuzzled, he forces the prey out by 

 fastening on its neck, or stern. 



It had not been long in when a rabbit bolted. I shot 



F 



him, and before I had time to seize my prey, another 

 popped out a few yards off. A shot from the left-hand 

 barrel secured him. And thus I continued until I had 

 bagged two couple. 



I now sat down for awhile to enjoy the beauteous 

 scenery about me, and to gaze upon the splendour of the 

 lofty mountains on the opposite side of a small valley 

 which separated me from them. My ferret was, as I had 

 imagined, safely tied up in his bag not far from my side. 

 But the busy rogue had made his way out, and I just had 

 a glimpse of his tail, as he entered a fresh burrow. 



Before I could recover him, he had disappeared; I waited 

 some time in the hope of seeing a rabbit — none appearing, 

 I concluded my little slave had slept in the burrow. I 

 stamped on the ground, hallooed in the holes to disturb 

 him, but in vain; at length I applied my ear to listen. 



After remaining some time in this position, I heard a 

 faint noise. It resembled the squeak of a ferret. I was all 

 astonishment; and could not account for it. I listened 

 again — the noise grew louder — and as if coming from 

 more than one animal. Presently, I observed.the ferret's 

 tail, and soon after saw that he was struggling hard to 

 bring something out of the burrow. 



I thought it was a rabbit. The ferret continued dragging 

 his prize to the mouth of the hole; when to my astonish- 

 ment, I found him closely interlocked with a male pole- 

 cat; they had fastened like bull-dogs on each other's 

 necks. 



The polecat, when he saw me, did not quit his hold, but 

 redoubled his efforts, and dragged the ferret back into the 

 earth, and the squeaking was resumed. 



I now feared for the ferret's life, but soon observed him 

 again bringing his opponent to the mouth of the hole. I 

 drew back, hoping he might be brought out for me to take, 

 or shoot. The reverse, however, happened; the polecat 

 again rallied, kept his hold fast, and the belligerent par- 

 ties once more disappeared. 



I neither saw nor heard any thing of them for some 

 time, and again feared for my little champion's life. But 

 a third time I saw him lugging out his adversary with in- 

 creased vigour. He brought him to the mouth of the hole; 

 a desperate struggle ensued, — and just as I expected to see 

 the polecat defeated, the ferret, quite exhausted, relin- 

 quished the combat, and came hopping towards me, con- 

 siderably mangled about the throat; his enemy did not 

 dare to follow him, but stood deliberately snuffing up the 

 air, at the mouth of his burrow. I took aim at him, and, 

 strange to tell, my gun missed fire at least four or five 

 times, when the Utile hero, turning quickly round, escaped 

 into the earth; foiling both auxiliaries, my ferret and my 

 gun. 



I attribute the defeat of the ferret to the inevitable loss 



