FRIENDS OR FOES f 207 



one day concerning that velvet-coated little animal 

 who suffers so much at the hands of the agriculturist 

 whom he befriends so much in various ways, even 

 if he does spoil the appearance of a garden lawn here 

 and there. The' genial old soul allowed me to draw 

 him out freely, and this is what he said : — 



" Yes, I ketches 'em right enough ; I has orders 

 for to do it ; but I ain't bin at this 'ere sort o' work 

 all my days. 'Tis the way o' the world ; when your 

 hair's grey they say the steel's gone out o' ye, and 

 only the iron is left." (This is a common saying 

 in our county.) " But I knows better ; there's many 

 an old axe cuts better than a new un. I bin head- 

 keeper, bless ye, in th' old squire's time, afore these 

 'ere changes cum. They ain't got rid o' me ; I 

 bides here ; I might do wuss. But it do seem a 

 most mortal let down, arter shootin' an' trappin' 

 all sort o' things, fur a chap to cum down to mole- 

 catchin'." 



" I should just like to have your opinion on this 

 very subject ; no one can have had better oppor- 

 tunities for seeing the matter all round. I should 

 say you can speak as certainly as most as to the 

 good and the harm they do." 



