Why we might catch a
hundred, and no one would be a bit the worse for it. Here, make haste,
or I shall be shouting at them, and we ought to be quiet now."

"Close there, aren't we?" I said.

"Yes; just through that next patch, and we shall be there."

"And suppose Magg hasn't come?"

"Why, we'll catch some without him."

"Without the ferret?"

"Oh, how stupid I am!" cried Mercer, and he went on, now in silence,
through some stunted firs, in and out by patches of gorse, with the
character of the ground quite changed, and then up a hilly slope crowned
with spruce trees, round which we skirted, to stop at last, breathless,
at the bottom of the slope facing south, with the dark green,
straight-stemmed trees above us; and Mercer gave his foot an angry stamp
as he looked round at the deserted place, where the pine branches glowed
of a ruddy bronze in the sunset light, and cried,--

"Oh, what a jolly shame!"

"Not here?" I said.

"No; and it's a nasty, mean trick to drag us all this way. I wish I had
kept the ferret instead of trusting him."

"What's to be done?"

"Oh, nothing," he replied despondently. "It's always the way, when I've
made up my mind for a bit of fun, something happens to stop it."

"Let's wait," I said. "He may come yet."

"Wait? Why, it'll be too dark to see to do anything in less than an
hour. Oh, won't I pay him out for--"

"There he is," I whispered, for I had just caught sight of a figure
lying down by a patch of furze; and we started off at a dog-trot, and
soon reached the spot.

"Why, I thought you hadn't come, Magg," cried Mercer excitedly.

"That's what I was thinking," said the man. "There, chuck yourselves
down; if you stand up like that, somebody may see you."

I did not like this, for it was going in for more hiding and
secretiveness, but all the same it was fascinating, and, dropping on our
knees in the short, wiry grass, we waited for our instructor in the art
of ferreting rabbits to begin.

"Well," I said, as we stared at him, and he stared back at us, "aren't
you going to begin?"

"No," he said coolly.

"Then what's the good of our coming?"

"Oh, do begin, Magg! We shall soon have to run back. Where's old
longbody?"

"Yonder," said Magglin coolly, nodding his head at the slope just above
us.

"Not loose?"

"Yes, he's loose."

"But--"

"Why, can't you see, lad? and do be quiet, or the rabbits won't bolt. I
put him in one of the holes ten minutes