CHAP. VIL. | Attack by a Weasel. 115 
the dike* into another field, but not before he had bitten 
my hands. I began to close my eyes once more, when 
again the prowler approached. At last, despairing of peace, 
I left the spot where I had been seated, and went into a 
small plantation about a hundred yards off, and now I 
thought I would surely get a nap in comfort. But the 
weasel would not be refused. He had followed in my 
track. I had scarcely closed my eyes before he was at me 
again. He was trying to get into my hat. I awoke and 
shoved him off. Again he tried it, and again he escaped. 
By this time I was thoroughly awake. I was a good deal 
nettled at the pertinacity of the brute, and yet could not 
help admiring his perseverance. But thinking it was now 
high time to put an end to the game, instead of falling 
asleep, I kept watch. Back he came, nothing daunted by 
his previous repulses. I suffered him to go on with his 
operations until I found my hat about to roll off. I then 
throttled, and eventually strangled, the audacious little 
creature, though my hand was again bitten severely. After 
getting a few winks of sleep, I was again able te resume my 
journey.” 
Edward was once attacked by two pertinacious rats in a 
similar manner. He was making an excursion between 
Banff and Aberdeen, and had got to a place near Slains 
Castle, beyond Peterhead. It had been raining all day. 
It was now growing dark, and he looked about for a place 
to sleep in. He observed a dilapidated building, which 
looked like the ruins of a threshing-mill, as it stood near 
a farm-steading. He entered the place, and found only a 
small part of the roof still standing. It was, however, suffi- 
cient to protect him from the rain, which was still falling. 
There was a pile of stones and rubbish immediately under 
the roof, and having gathered together as much dry grass 
* Dike or dyke, in the north, means a stone or earth wall, not a 
ditch, as it means in the south. 
