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03 - Studies in the Art of Rat-Catching by Henry C. Barkley · Studies in the Art of Rat-Catching

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  Speaker 1: Chapter two of Studies in the Art of Rat Catching
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  Speaker 1: by H. C.
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  Speaker 2: Barkley.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by
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  Speaker 1: Clive catterul Studies in the Art of Rat Catching by H. C. Barkley,
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  Speaker 1: Chapter two. The first chapter of this lesson book has
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  Speaker 1: gone to the printer, so I don't quite know what
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  Speaker 1: I said in it, but I think we had finished
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  Speaker 1: the home life of the ferret and were just taking
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  Speaker 1: it out of its box. Different professors have different opinions
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  Speaker 1: as to what is next to be done with it. Many,
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  Speaker 1: and they are good men, too, think you should put
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  Speaker 1: it into a box about eighteen inches long, ten inches
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  Speaker 1: high and ten wide. The box to be divided into
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  Speaker 1: two compartments, with a lid to each, and with leather
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  Speaker 1: loops to these lids through which to thrust a pointed spade,
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  Speaker 1: so as to carry it on your shoulder. I have
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  Speaker 1: tried this plan, but I have never quite liked it.
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  Speaker 1: I have found that after a heavy day's work, the
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  Speaker 1: box was apt to get heavy and feel as if
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  Speaker 1: it were a grandfather's clock hanging on your back. Then
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  Speaker 1: the ratting spade was engaged, instead of being free to
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  Speaker 1: mump a rat on the head in a hurry, or
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  Speaker 1: point out a likely hole to the dogs. When a
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  Speaker 1: ferret was wanted, all the others would dash out and
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  Speaker 1: have to be hunted about to be re caught. Now
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  Speaker 1: and then the lids came open and let all out,
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  Speaker 1: and now and then I let the box slip off
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  Speaker 1: the spade and fall to the ground, And then I
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  Speaker 1: felt sorry for the ferrets inside it. No, I have
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  Speaker 1: always carried my ferrets in a good, strong canvas bag
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  Speaker 1: with a little clean straw at the bottom and a
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  Speaker 1: leather strap and buckle stitched to it with which to
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  Speaker 1: close it. Don't tie the bag with a piece of string.
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  Speaker 1: It is sure to get lost, and don't have a
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  Speaker 1: stiff buckle on your strap that takes ten minutes to undo.
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  Speaker 1: Remember the life of a rat may depend upon your
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  Speaker 1: getting your ferret out quickly. Never throw the bag of
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  Speaker 1: ferrets down, lay them down gently. Don't leave the bag
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  Speaker 1: on the ground in a broiling sun with some of
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  Speaker 1: the ferrets in it while you are using the others,
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  Speaker 1: or in a cold, drafty place on a cold day.
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  Speaker 1: Find a snug corner for them if you can, and
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  Speaker 1: cover them up with a little straw or grass to
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  Speaker 1: keep them warm. If when carrying your ferrets they chatter
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  Speaker 1: in the bag, let them. It is only singing, not fighting.
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  Speaker 1: I have never known a ferret hurt another in a bag.
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  Speaker 1: Always bag your ferret as soon as you have done
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  Speaker 1: with it. Don't drag it about in your hand for
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  Speaker 1: half an hour, and don't put it in your pocket,
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  Speaker 1: as it will make your coat smell. When I have
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  Speaker 1: done work and turn towards home, I have made it
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  Speaker 1: a rule always to put a dead rat into the bag,
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  Speaker 1: as I think it amuses the ferrets and breaks the
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  Speaker 1: monotony of a long journey, just as when I run
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  Speaker 1: down home, I like taking a snack at Swindon station,
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  Speaker 1: just to divert my mind from the racketing of the
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  Speaker 1: train and the thought of the hard seat. When you
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  Speaker 1: get home. Give the ferrets a rat for every two
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  Speaker 1: of them, if you can afford it, for then they
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  Speaker 1: need only eat the best joints. If you have not
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  Speaker 1: many dead rats and want to save some for the morrow,
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  Speaker 1: one rat for three ferrets is enough for twenty four hours.
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  Speaker 1: But don't forget to give them water or milk. I
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  Speaker 1: think I have said enough as to the management of ferrets,
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  Speaker 1: and will go on. To speak of the necessary tools,
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  Speaker 1: the chief thing is a good ratting spade. What the
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  Speaker 1: musket is to the soldier, the spade is to the
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  Speaker 1: rat catcher. You may get on without it, but you
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  Speaker 1: won't do much killing. I have tried many shapes, but
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  Speaker 1: the one I like best is on the pattern of
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  Speaker 1: the above drawing. It should not be too heavy, but
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  Speaker 1: yet strong, and therefore the handle should be made of
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  Speaker 1: a good piece of ash, and the other parts of
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  Speaker 1: the best tempered steel, and the edge should be sharp
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  Speaker 1: enough to cut quickly through a thick root. The spike
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  Speaker 1: should be sharp so as to easily enter the ground
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  Speaker 1: and feel for a lost hole. This will constantly save
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  Speaker 1: a long dig and much time. Besides, one can often
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  Speaker 1: bolt a rat by a few well directed prods in
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  Speaker 1: a soft bank. Not that I approve of this, as
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  Speaker 1: they may be more than one rat in the hole,
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  Speaker 1: and by prodding out one you are content to leave
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  Speaker 1: others behind. No, I think the ferret should go down
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  Speaker 1: every hole challenged by the dogs, as then you are
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  Speaker 1: pretty sure of making a clean job of it. Besides
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  Speaker 1: the spade, I have always kept a few trap boxes.
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  Speaker 1: These are to catch a ferret should one lay up
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  Speaker 1: and have to be left behind. I bait them with
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  Speaker 1: a piece of rat and place them at the mouth
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  Speaker 1: of the hole, and it is rare I don't find
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  Speaker 1: a ferret in it in the morning. I also take one.
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  Speaker 2: Of these traps with me.
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  Speaker 1: If I am going where rats are very numerous, then
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  Speaker 1: if a ferret stops too long in a hole, I
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  Speaker 1: stick the mouth of a trap over the hole and
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  Speaker 1: pack it round with earth and stop up all the
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  Speaker 1: bolt holes, and then go on working with the other ferrets.
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  Speaker 1: When the sluggard is at last tired of the hole,
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  Speaker 1: it walks into the trap, shoving up the wire swing door,
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  Speaker 1: which falls down behind it, and there it has to
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  Speaker 1: stop till you fetch it. If I am going to
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  Speaker 1: ferret wheat stacks where rats have worked strong, I take
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  Speaker 1: with me half a dozen pieces of thin board about
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  Speaker 1: a foot long. I do so for this reason. The
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  Speaker 1: first thing rats do when they take possession of a
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  Speaker 1: stack is to make a good path or run all
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  Speaker 1: round it, just under the eaves, and when disturbed by ferrets,
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  Speaker 1: they get into this run and keep running away round
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  Speaker 1: and round the stack without coming to the ground. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: before putting in the ferrets, I take a ladder and
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  Speaker 1: going round the eaves of the stack. I stick the
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  Speaker 1: boards in so as to cut off these runs. And
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  Speaker 1: when a rat goes off for a gallop, he comes
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  Speaker 1: to no throughfare, and, feeling sure the ferret is after him, he,
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  Speaker 1: in desperation, comes to the ground, and then the dogs
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  Speaker 1: have a chance. I once killed twenty eight rats out
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  Speaker 1: of a big stack in twenty minutes after the ferrets
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  Speaker 1: were put in, all thanks to these stock boards. And
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  Speaker 1: though I run the ferrets through and through the stack afterwards,
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  Speaker 1: I do not start another. And so I believe I
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  Speaker 1: had got the lot. I think I have enumerated all
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  Speaker 1: the tools required for rat catching. I need not mention
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  Speaker 1: a knife and a piece of string, as all honest
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  Speaker 1: men have them in their pockets always, even on Sundays.
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  Speaker 1: Some rat catchers take with them thick leather gloves to
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  Speaker 1: save they are getting bitten by a rat or a ferret.
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  Speaker 1: But I despise such effeminate ways, and I consider he
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  Speaker 1: does not know his profession if he cannot catch either
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  Speaker 1: ferret or rat with his naked hands. I must now
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  Speaker 1: turn to the subject of dogs, one far more important
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  Speaker 1: than either ferrets or tools, and one so large that
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  Speaker 1: if I went on writing and writing to the end
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  Speaker 1: of my days, I should not get to the end
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  Speaker 1: of it, and so shall only make a few notes
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  Speaker 1: upon it as a slight guide to the student, leaving
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  Speaker 1: him to follow it up and work it out for himself.
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  Speaker 1: But in so doing I beg to say that his
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  Speaker 1: future success as a rat catcher will depend on his
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  Speaker 1: mastering the subject. But before proceeding further, I am anxious
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  Speaker 1: to say a few words in parenthesis for the benefit
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  Speaker 1: of the head masters of our schools. Admirable as their
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  Speaker 1: academies are for turning out Greek and Latin scholars, I
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  Speaker 1: cannot help thinking a proper provision is seldom made in
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  Speaker 1: their establishments for acquiring a real working knowledge of the
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  Speaker 1: profession of a rat catcher, And I wish to suggest
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  Speaker 1: that it would be as well to insist on all
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  Speaker 1: those students who wish to take up this subject, keeping
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  Speaker 1: at school at least one good dog and a ferret,
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  Speaker 1: that two afternoons a week should be set apart entirely
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  Speaker 1: for field practice, and that the cost of this should
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  Speaker 1: be jotted down at the end of each term in
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  Speaker 1: the little school account that is sent home to the
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  Speaker 1: student's parents. I know most high spirited boys will object
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  Speaker 1: to this and call it a fresh tyranny, and ever
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  Speaker 1: after hate me for proposing it. But I do it
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  Speaker 1: under a deep sense of duty, being convinced that it
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  Speaker 1: is far better they should perfectly master the rudimentary knowledge
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  Speaker 1: of such an honest profession as that of the rat catcher,
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  Speaker 1: than that they should drift on through their school life
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  Speaker 1: with no definite future marked out, finally to become perhaps
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  Speaker 1: such scourges of society as MPs who make speeches when
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  Speaker 1: Parliament is not sitting. Judging from the columns of the newspapers,
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  Speaker 1: there must be many thousands who come to this most
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  Speaker 1: deplorable end. And if I can only turn one of
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  Speaker 1: them from such a vicious course, I shall feel I
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  Speaker 1: have benefited mankind even more than by killing rats and
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  Speaker 1: other vermin. Now I must return to the subject of dogs,
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  Speaker 1: and in doing so I will first begin on their masters.
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  Speaker 1: For to make a good dog a good master is
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  Speaker 1: also absolutely necessary. Anybody that has thought about it knows
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  Speaker 1: that as is the master, so is the dog. A
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  Speaker 1: quiet man has a quiet dog, A quarrelsome man a
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  Speaker 1: quarrelsome dog. A bright man a bright, quick dog, and
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  Speaker 1: a loafing, idle ruffian, a slinking, slothful cur First of all,
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  Speaker 1: then the dog's master must understand dog talk, for they
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  Speaker 1: do talk, and eloquently too, with their tongues, their ears,
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  Speaker 1: their eyes, their legs, their tail, and even with the
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  Speaker 1: hairs on their backs. And therefore, don't be astonished if
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  Speaker 1: you find me saying in the following pages pepper told
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  Speaker 1: me this, or wasp said so and so. Why I
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  Speaker 1: was once told by a bull terrier that a country
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  Speaker 1: policeman was a thief, and, acting on information received, I
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  Speaker 1: got the man locked up in prison for three months,
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  Speaker 1: and it just served him right. Having learnt dog language,
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  Speaker 1: use it your dog in a reasonable way. Talk to
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  Speaker 1: him as a friend, Tell him the news of the day,
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  Speaker 1: of your hopes and fears, your likes and dislikes. But
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  Speaker 1: above all, use talk always in the place of a whip.
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  Speaker 1: For instance, when breaking in a young dog, not to
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  Speaker 1: kill a ferret. Take hold of the dog with a
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  Speaker 1: short line, put the ferret on the ground in front
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  Speaker 1: of him, and when he makes a dash at it, say.
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  Speaker 2: What are you up to, war ferret? Why?
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  Speaker 1: I gave four and sixpence for that, you fool, And
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  Speaker 1: now you want to kill it. Look here, picking up
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  Speaker 1: the ferret and fondling it. This is one of my friends.
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  Speaker 1: Smell it, putting it near his nose. Different from a rat.
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  Speaker 1: Eh rather sweet, ain't it?
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  Speaker 2: War ferret? War ferret? Would you you rascal?
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  Speaker 1: And you ashamed of yourself?
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  Speaker 2: War ferret? War ferret. Repeat this a.
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  Speaker 1: Few times for two or three days. And when you
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  Speaker 1: first begin working the dog and he is excitedly watching
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  Speaker 1: for a rat to bolt, just say war ferret to
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  Speaker 1: him and he will be sure to understand. Should he, however,
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  Speaker 1: in his excitement make a dash at the ferret, shout
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  Speaker 1: at him to stop, and then, picking up the ferret,
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  Speaker 1: rub it over his face, all the time scolding him
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  Speaker 1: well for what he has done, but don't hit him,
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  Speaker 1: and probably he will never look at a ferret again.
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  Speaker 1: In my opinion, there is nothing like a thrashing to
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  Speaker 1: spoil a dog or a boy. Reason with them and
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  Speaker 1: talk to them, and if they are worth keeping, they
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  Speaker 1: will understand and obey. Mind, a dog must always obey,
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  Speaker 1: and obey at the first order. Always give an order
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  Speaker 1: in a decided voice, as if you meant it, and
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  Speaker 1: never overlook the slightest disobedience. One short whistle should always
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  Speaker 1: be enough. If the dog does not obey, call him
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  Speaker 1: up and repeating the whistle, scold him with a scold
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  Speaker 1: in your voice. Don't share or ball at him for
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  Speaker 1: all the country to hear, and the rats too, But
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  Speaker 1: just make your words sting. If he repeats his offense,
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  Speaker 1: put a line and collar on him and lead him
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  Speaker 1: for half an hour, telling him all the time why
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  Speaker 1: you do so, and he will be so ashamed of himself.
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  Speaker 1: The chances are he will obey you forever after put
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  Speaker 1: yourself in the dog's place. Fancy if when you have
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  Speaker 1: kicked a bit over the traces at school, the head master,
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  Speaker 1: instead of thrashing you, made you walk up and down
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  Speaker 1: the playground or cricket field with him for half an hour.
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  Speaker 1: But no, that would be too awful. It would border
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  Speaker 1: on brutality, but you would not forget it in a hurry.
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  Speaker 1: We humans often behave well and do good, not because
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  Speaker 1: it is our duty to do so, but for what
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  Speaker 1: the world will say, and for the praise we may get.
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  Speaker 1: Dogs are not, in all things superior to humans, and
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  Speaker 1: in this matter of praise, I fear they are even
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  Speaker 1: inferior to us. They most dearly love praise, and a
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  Speaker 1: good dog should always get it for any and every
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  Speaker 1: little service he renders to man. Remember, he is the
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  Speaker 1: only living thing that takes a pleasure in working for man,
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  Speaker 1: and his sole reward is man's approbation. Give it him then,
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  Speaker 1: and give it him hot and warm when he deserves it,
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  Speaker 1: and he will be willing to do anything for you,
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  Speaker 1: and will spend his life worshiping you and working for you,
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  Speaker 1: for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer. He is yours,
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  Speaker 1: with no sneaking thoughts of a divorce cord in the background.
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  Speaker 1: There is another thing a master should always do for
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  Speaker 1: his dog himself, and do it with reason. See to
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  Speaker 1: his comfort, and see that he has good food and water,
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  Speaker 1: and is comfortably lodged. Don't let him be tied up
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  Speaker 1: to a hateful kennel in a back yard, baked by
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  Speaker 1: the sun in summer and nearly frozen in winter, often
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  Speaker 1: without water, and with food thrown into a dish that
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  Speaker 1: is already half full of sour and dirty remains of
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  Speaker 1: yesterday's dinner. This is not reasonable and is cruel. When
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  Speaker 1: he is not with you, shut him up in a
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  Speaker 1: kennel big or little, made as nearly as you can
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  Speaker 1: have it on the model of a kennel for hounds.
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  Speaker 1: Let it be cool and airy in summer, and snug
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  Speaker 1: and warm in winter. Keep all clean kennel food dishes,
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  Speaker 1: water and beds. Don't forget that different dogs have different requirements.
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  Speaker 1: For instance, that a long, thick coated dog will sleep
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  Speaker 1: with comfort out in the snow, while a short coated
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  Speaker 1: one will shiver in a thick bed of straw. Picture
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  Speaker 1: to yourself as you tuck the warm blankets round you
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  Speaker 1: on a cold winter's night, what your thin coated pointer
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  Speaker 1: is undergoing in a drafty kennel on a bare plank bed,
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  Speaker 1: chained up to a misery trap in the back yard
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  Speaker 1: which is half full of drifted snow. Think of it,
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  Speaker 1: and get up and put the dog in a spare
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  Speaker 1: loose box in the stable for the night, and have
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  Speaker 1: a proper kennel made for him in the morning. I
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  Speaker 1: once had a favorite dog named Ruff that died of distemper.
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  Speaker 1: A small child asked me a few days afterwards if dogs,
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  Speaker 1: when they died went to heaven, and I, not knowing better,
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  Speaker 1: answered yes. And the child said, won't rough make his
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  Speaker 1: old tail when he sees me come in when you
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  Speaker 1: come in, I hope they will be all your departed
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  Speaker 1: dogs wagging their tails to meet you. It will depend
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  Speaker 1: upon how you have treated them here. But take my
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  Speaker 1: word for it, my friend, you will never be allowed
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  Speaker 1: to pass that door if the dogs bark and growl
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  Speaker 1: at you. Don't suppose I am a sentimental, fat pug
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  Speaker 1: on a string sort of man next to humans. I
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  Speaker 1: like dogs best of all creatures. Why I have made
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  Speaker 1: my living by their killing rats for me at tuppence
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  Speaker 1: per rat and three pounds of farm, and I am grateful.
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  Speaker 1: But I like dogs in their proper place. For instance,
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  Speaker 1: as a rule, I dislike a dog.
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  Speaker 2: In the house.
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  Speaker 1: The house was meant for man and should be kept
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  Speaker 1: for him. I think when a man goes indoors, his
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  Speaker 1: dog should be shut up in the kennel and not
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  Speaker 1: be allowed to wander about doing mischief, eating trash, learning
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  Speaker 1: to loaf, and under no discipline. Now and then I
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  Speaker 1: do allow an old dog that has done a life's
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  Speaker 1: hard work to roam about where he likes and even
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  Speaker 1: walk into my study I mean the kitchen, and sit
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  Speaker 1: before the fire and chat with me. But then such
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  Speaker 1: dogs have established characters and nothing can spoil them. Besides,
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  Speaker 1: they are wise beasts with a vast experience, and I
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  Speaker 1: can learn a lot from them. It was from one
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  Speaker 1: of these I learnt all about the prigging policeman. A
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  Speaker 1: young dog is never good for much, who is allowed
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  Speaker 1: to run wild. Every one is his master, and he
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  Speaker 1: obeys no one. And when he is taken out, he
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  Speaker 1: is dull and stupid, thinking more of the kitchen scraps
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  Speaker 1: than of business. No, when I go to work, I
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  Speaker 1: like to let the dogs out myself, to see them
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  Speaker 1: dash about, dance around, jump up at me, and bark
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  Speaker 1: with joy. I like to see the young ones topple
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  Speaker 1: each other over in sport, and the old ones gallop
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  Speaker 1: on a head to the four cross ways and stand
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  Speaker 1: there watching to see which way I am going. And
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  Speaker 1: then when I give them the direction, with a wave
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  Speaker 1: of the hand, alt off down the road with a
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  Speaker 1: wriggle of content. You might trust your life to dogs
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  Speaker 1: in such a joyful temper, for they would be sure
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  Speaker 1: to stand by you. Thank you, young gentlemen. That is
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  Speaker 1: enough for this morning's lesson. You may now amuse yourselves
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  Speaker 1: with your ovid or euclid. End of Chapter two