in his
aimless uncertain manner was trying to follow the scent along the bank.
He did not like being compelled to give up this scent and to search
again for another. 'Us must be main careful how us fixes our nets, you,'
said Little John, going as far as he could in reproof of my negligence.

The noise of the gun, the barking, and talking was of course heard by
the rabbits still in the bury, and as if to show that Little John was
right, for a while they ceased to bolt. Standing behind the
bushes--against which I now placed the gun to be nearer at hand--I
watched the nets till my eye was caught by the motions of the
ferret-bag. It lay on the grass and had hitherto been inert. But now the
bag reared itself up, and then rolled over, to again rise and again
tumble. The ferrets left in it in reserve were eager to get out--sharp
set on account of a scanty breakfast--and their motions caused the bag
to roll along a short distance.

I could see Orion on the other side of the mound tolerably well because
he was standing up and the leaves had fallen from the upper part of the
bushes. Little John was crouched in the ditch: the dead grasses,
'gicks,' withered vines of bryony, the thistles, and dark shrivelled
fern concealed him.

There was a round black sloe on the blackthorn beside me, the beautiful
gloss, or bloom, on it made it look like a tiny plum. It tasted not only
sour, but seemed to positively fill the mouth with a rough acid.
Overhead light grey clouds, closely packed but not rainy, drifted very
slowly before a N.E. upper current. Occasionally a brief puff of wind
came through the bushes rustling the dead leaves that still remained on
the oaks.

Despite the cold, something of Little John's intense concentration
communicated itself to us: we waited and watched with eager patience.
After a while he got out of the ditch where he had been listening with
his ear close against the bank, and asked me to pass him the ferret-bag.
He took out another ferret and lined it--that is, attached one end of a
long string to its neck, and then sent it in.

He watched which way the ferret turned, and then again placed his head
upon the hard clay to listen. Orion had to come and hold the line, while
he went two or three yards farther down, got into the ditch and once
more listened carefully. 'He be about the middle of the mound you,' he
said to me; he be between you and I. Lor! look out.'

There was a low rumbling sound--I expected to s