ago."

A flush of excitement seemed to run through me now, as I noted that
every here and there were places in the turfy bank where the sandy soil
had been scraped out, and the next moment I saw what had escaped me
before, that every hole I could see was covered with a fine net.

Mercer had seen it too, and I saw him rub his hands softly as if
delighted with the promise of sport, but another ten minutes passed, and
the rabbits made no sign of being anxious to rush out and be caught, and
I began to grow impatient.

"Hadn't you better try another place?" I whispered, but the man held up
his hand, drew his knees under him, and crouched in an attitude that was
almost doglike in its animal aspect.

Then there was a rushing noise just above us, and Magglin scrambled
forward and dashed his hands down upon a rabbit which came bounding out
of a hole and rolled down the slope, tangled in the net.

The next minute it had received a chop on the back of the neck, ceased
struggling, been transferred to Magglin's pocket, and the net was spread
over the hole again.

"That's a bad farret, ain't it, Master Mercer?" said Magglin, showing
his teeth. "You'd best sell un back to me; I should be glad on it for
five shillings."

"Hush! I thought I heard one, Magg," whispered Mercer, ignoring the
remark. "I say, let me catch the next."

"Either of you may if you can," he replied; and we waited again for some
time.

"Try some fresh place," whispered Mercer.

"Nay; they all run one into another; the ground under here's like the
rat-holes up at the old house. There goes one."

For a rabbit bolted from a hole higher up, turned on seeing us, and
darted up toward the pines.

"Farret's working beautifully," said Magglin.

"How many holes have you covered?" I asked.

"'Bout four-and-twenty, and all my nets. You young gents ought to pay
me for the use of them."

"Here's one!" cried Mercer, making a leap in a similar fashion to that
of the under gardener, and he too caught an unfortunate rabbit, whose
rush had been right into one of the little loose nets, in which it was
tangled directly.

"Here, let me kill un for you," said Magglin.

"No; I know now. I can do it," said Mercer. Then I sprang to my feet,
and my first impulse was to run, my second to stand fast, for how he got
up to us so close from behind without being seen was a mystery to me;
but there, just in the midst of the confusion and excitement of
capturing the