AT THE FARM 



119 



which we led, and we hoped that it would go on 

 for ever. But one day I heard a strange voice, or 

 rather voices, on the premises, and I crept nearer 

 among the withered grass which fringed the river- 

 bank to listen to what was being said. I arrived 

 just in time to hear John growling something 

 about ' the rats never having bothered him ; there 

 weren't a many of them, either, and his little maid, 

 she were fair fond of them.' Then came a boy's 

 voice, urging that they did so want to try their 

 ferrets, that they were not allowed to have a dog, 

 and that they could not possibly kill many. 

 ' Besides,' chimed in another impudent youngster, 

 ' there will be young chickens about in the spring, 

 and the rats are sure to get at them, and then 

 you'll jolly well wish that you had let us kill some 

 of them, because your wife will get cross, and 

 where will you be then ?' That seemed to touch 

 John on a sore place, and after a little more growl- 

 ing he gave in, which seemed to me to be very 

 cowardly behaviour — I was never afraid of any of 

 my wives — and he gave them leave to come on the 

 following Tuesday. So they went away rejoicing, 

 so pleased, in fact, that one of them had the cheek 

 to shout back, ' I say, John, you'll give us an apple 

 apiece for every rat's tail, won't you ? and another 



