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09 - 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 eight of Studies in the Art of rat Catching
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  Speaker 1: by H. C. Barkley. This LibriVox recording is in the
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  Speaker 1: public domain recording by Clive Catterall. Studies in the Art
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  Speaker 1: of rat Catching by H. C. Barkley, Chapter eight. Fortunately
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  Speaker 1: I don't live by the sea. I say fortunately, because
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  Speaker 1: I look upon the sea as a swindler, for it
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  Speaker 1: robs one of just half one's little world and upsets
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  Speaker 1: all calculations by forcing one to live in a mean semicircle.
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  Speaker 1: I actually know a rat catcher who is stupid enough
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  Speaker 1: to live in a village on the east coast, and
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  Speaker 1: half his time he and his dogs are at home
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  Speaker 1: in idleness and are half starved because the ever restless,
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  Speaker 1: tiresome sea rolls about and disports itself over all that
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  Speaker 1: is east of the village. So the poor man can
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  Speaker 1: only go rat catching in one direction. Now and then
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  Speaker 1: I go to the sea side. But when I go there,
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  Speaker 1: it is on business, not in my Sunday clothes with
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  Speaker 1: a tripper's return ticket, but with my dogs, ferrets, nets,
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  Speaker 1: the long ones and the boy jack. He and I
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  Speaker 1: dressed in our well worn corduroys gaiters and navvy boots
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  Speaker 1: and instead of choosing a town to visit with marine
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  Speaker 1: parade esplanades, lodgings, to lead brass bands, nigaminstrels, and spouting MPAs,
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  Speaker 1: we go to a little village unknown to trippers and
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  Speaker 1: put up in a small inn for a week or
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  Speaker 1: ten days. We sleep in a room not unlike a
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  Speaker 1: hay loft, and take our meals and rest in the
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  Speaker 1: common kitchen with its rattling latticed windows and sanded floor.
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  Speaker 1: We go there twice each winter to kill rabbits on
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  Speaker 1: what are called the Deans, which are great, wide down
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  Speaker 1: like lands on the top of the steep earth cliff,
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  Speaker 1: partially covered with the ever flowering gorse, a cover deer
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  Speaker 1: to rabbits and all sorts of game. We reached the
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  Speaker 1: inn in time for an early dinner, and after we
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  Speaker 1: have housed the ferrets in a big tub and the
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  Speaker 1: dogs in a warm, dry shed with heaps of straw
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  Speaker 1: to sleep on, Jack and I despatch our food, and
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  Speaker 1: then start off to inspect the field of our future operations.
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  Speaker 1: We have not to go far. First down the street,
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  Speaker 1: past two or three dozen flint pebble cottages, past the
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  Speaker 1: church with its square tower so high that it makes
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  Speaker 1: the really big church look small in proportion, Past the rectory,
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  Speaker 1: past the schools where some forty or fifty future fishermen
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  Speaker 1: and sailors have just finished their tasks for the day,
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  Speaker 1: and come rolling out dressed all alike in dark sea
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  Speaker 1: stained canvas trousers and thick sailor jerseys. Past the low
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  Speaker 1: one storied cottage where the old retired naval captain has
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  Speaker 1: lived for many years. And then up a sandy lane
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  Speaker 1: between high crumbling banks and out on to the open deanes.
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  Speaker 1: We take a path that runs close along on the
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  Speaker 1: top of the cliff, mounting a steep hill as we go,
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  Speaker 1: until we reach a spot half a mile further on
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  Speaker 1: where the sea cliff is four hundred feet high and
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  Speaker 1: nearly perpendicular, And here among the ruins of an old church,
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  Speaker 1: part of which has fallen with the slipping cliff into
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  Speaker 1: the sea many years ago. Jack and I halt and
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  Speaker 1: take a look around. We are on the highest spot
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  Speaker 1: within miles, and spread out in front of us as
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  Speaker 1: we face inland are first to the down like hills,
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  Speaker 1: dotted over with patches of gorse, and with turf between
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  Speaker 1: as fine and soft as a Persian carpet. Then cultivated
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  Speaker 1: fields intersected by thick hedges, and in the distance we
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  Speaker 1: could distinguish a clustering village. Here a homestead, there, an
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  Speaker 1: old manor house in its well kept garden and park
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  Speaker 1: like grounds. In all directions the square solid picturesque towers
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  Speaker 1: of village churches peeping from among the trees that become
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  Speaker 1: thicker and thicker the further the eye traveled from the sea.
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  Speaker 1: Close to our left, just under the shoulder of a
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  Speaker 1: hill which protects it from the keen east wind off
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  Speaker 1: the sea, is a tiny village of some ten cottages,
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  Speaker 1: all different, all neat and snug looking, each in its
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  Speaker 1: own garden. There is a stand of bee hives in one,
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  Speaker 1: a honeysuckle covered porch to another, and though it is midwinter,
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  Speaker 1: there is a warm, homelike look about all. Then there
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  Speaker 1: is the one farmhouse, well kept and well cared for,
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  Speaker 1: but old and belonging to other days, as its gables
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  Speaker 1: and low windows denote. And from our high hill we
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  Speaker 1: look over the house into a garden and orchard beyond,
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  Speaker 1: both enclosed by gray lichen covered walls. On either side.
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  Speaker 1: In front of the house are the farm buildings, all
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  Speaker 1: from the big barn to the row of pig sties
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  Speaker 1: thatched with long reeds, which give the whole a pleasant
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  Speaker 1: English home appearance. There are big yards filled with red
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  Speaker 1: and white cattle up to their middle in straw, others
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  Speaker 1: full of horses or young calves. Cocks and hens are everywhere.
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  Speaker 1: Ducks and geese swim in the big pond by the
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  Speaker 1: side of the road, and turkeys so big and plump
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  Speaker 1: they make one long for Christmas mob together in the yard,
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  Speaker 1: and the turkey copse gobblegobble at a boy who was
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  Speaker 1: infuriating them by whistling. A man crosses the yard with
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  Speaker 1: two pails on a yoke, evidently going a milking. Another
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  Speaker 1: passes with a perfect haystack on his back, and a
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  Speaker 1: dozen great heavy horses come out of the stable in
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  Speaker 1: Indian file and stump off to the pond to drink.
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  Speaker 1: Beyond the farmstead, in a field on the right side
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  Speaker 1: of the road is a double row of heaped up
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  Speaker 1: mangles and swedes, And a little further on are a
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  Speaker 1: number of stacks so neatly built and thatched that it
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  Speaker 1: seems quite a pity that they should be pulled down
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  Speaker 1: and thrashed. But all showing signs of prosperity and plenty.
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  Speaker 1: Beyond this stands a tiny church with reed thatched roof.
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  Speaker 1: It is all church and tower, built of round flint
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  Speaker 1: stones as big as oranges, cleverly split in two, and
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  Speaker 1: the flat sides facing outward, and from the dog toothed
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  Speaker 1: saxon arch over the door, one knows it has seen
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  Speaker 1: many generations pass away and find rest from the buffets
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  Speaker 1: and storms of the world in the peaceful, carefully tended
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  Speaker 1: gods acre that surrounds it. If one passed down the
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  Speaker 1: red gravel churchyard path and on in front of the
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  Speaker 1: south door, to the far corner under the big cedar,
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  Speaker 1: a small door would be found which would lead through
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  Speaker 1: a well kept, old fashioned garden to the rectory, a
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  Speaker 1: good old Elizabethan house covered with thick creep up to
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  Speaker 1: the very eaves, the model of one of England's snug
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  Speaker 1: homes that have turned out the very best men the
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  Speaker 1: dear Old Land has produced, to fight, struggle, conquer or
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  Speaker 1: die in all professions in all parts of the world.
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  Speaker 1: Men who in such shelters learn to be honest and true,
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  Speaker 1: brave and persevering lions encourage women in gentleness who could
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  Speaker 1: face hardships and poverty without a moan, and prosperity and
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  Speaker 1: riches without swagger, And through all the difficulties of life,
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  Speaker 1: thought of the old home, and when success arrived, be
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  Speaker 1: the ever so far away packed up and came back
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  Speaker 1: to finish their days in just such another home and
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  Speaker 1: such surroundings. Turn round now, Jack, turn round, and take
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  Speaker 1: a look at the restless sea, rolling its big waters
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  Speaker 1: on the smooth strip of sand there below on this side,
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  Speaker 1: and on the other, Jack, far far away over there
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  Speaker 1: in the south, on the other side of the world,
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  Speaker 1: lapping the roots of the palm and the mangrove, beneath
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  Speaker 1: the burning rays of tropical suns. And away round here,
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  Speaker 1: Jack far in the north, dashing its storm driven waves
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  Speaker 1: against the face of frost bound rocks and treacherous icebergs.
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  Speaker 1: There on the dancing waters, with all sails set, chasing
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  Speaker 1: the lights and shadows as they flit before it, sails
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  Speaker 1: a boat bound south to sunny climes. There on the horizon,
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  Speaker 1: against wind and waves, steams a collier taking fuel to
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  Speaker 1: lands where snow lies deep on the ground for four
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  Speaker 1: months in the year, and right and left outward bound
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  Speaker 1: or coming home, are various white sails dotting the waters.
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  Speaker 1: But Jack, how about supper? I ordered eggs and bacon
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  Speaker 1: for supper, and those chimney corners at the inn looked
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  Speaker 1: as if they might be snug and warm to smoke
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  Speaker 1: a pipe in afterwards before turning in. Step on Jack
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  Speaker 1: and have supper ready in half an hour while I
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  Speaker 1: go round by the rectory and see if the two
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  Speaker 1: young gentlemen are at home. They are the right sort,
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  Speaker 1: as keen as pepper after the rabbits, and they always
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  Speaker 1: have half a dozen good terriers, as fond of the
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  Speaker 1: sport as they are at the rectory. I receive a
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  Speaker 1: kindly welcome from Miss Madge Ashfield, the rector's only daughter
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  Speaker 1: and the sister of the two lads I came to
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  Speaker 1: inquire for. I was told they were not yet back
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  Speaker 1: from school, but were expected in three days. That only
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  Speaker 1: that morning a letter came from them, asking when I
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  Speaker 1: was likely to come and work the deans. I comforted
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  Speaker 1: Miss Madge, who at first feared the pick of the
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  Speaker 1: sport might be over before her brothers arrived, by telling
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  Speaker 1: her that for the next four days Jack and I
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  Speaker 1: should be busy doctoring holes, and that during that time
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  Speaker 1: we could not away with the boys or dogs, as
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  Speaker 1: both were too noisy for the work. Miss Madge took
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  Speaker 1: me round to the case kennels to see some rough
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  Speaker 1: wire haired terriers, old friends, and also three new ones,
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  Speaker 1: all supposed to be wonders, and she told me she
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  Speaker 1: would arrange for her brothers to bring one day five
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  Speaker 1: small beagles belonging to a friend. Jack and I did
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  Speaker 1: our duty by the hammered eggs that night at the inn,
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  Speaker 1: and the pipe in the old fashioned chimney corner was
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  Speaker 1: very sweet, and if the beds were a bit hard
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  Speaker 1: and nubbly, we did not keep awake to think of them,
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  Speaker 1: for we had both been up since daybreak. By eight
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  Speaker 1: o'clock the next morning, we had finished breakfast, given the
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  Speaker 1: dogs a few minutes run to stretch their legs, fed
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  Speaker 1: the ferrets that were not wanted, and were away on
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  Speaker 1: our way to the deans, each with two strong male ferrets,
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  Speaker 1: a spade and game bag with cold meat and bread
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  Speaker 1: in it. We were on our way to doctor the burrows,
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  Speaker 1: and this is done by running a muzzled ferret that
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  Speaker 1: has first been smeared with the little spirits of tar
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  Speaker 1: down every hole with a line on it. It is
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  Speaker 1: necessary to keep very quiet so as to get the
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  Speaker 1: rabbits to bolt. We don't want to kill a single rabbit,
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  Speaker 1: but only to disturb whole after hole. Bolt what rabbits
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  Speaker 1: we can, and leave a nice sweet smell of tarred
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  Speaker 1: ferret behind us. No time is lost. Jack goes one
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  Speaker 1: way and I another, and every hole is visited till
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  Speaker 1: evening shades stop us. Then back home to supper and bed,
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  Speaker 1: and it is again in the morning. But on the
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  Speaker 1: second day we begin by visiting each hole we ferreted
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  Speaker 1: the day before, stopping them tight down with sods, and
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  Speaker 1: sticking a piece of white paper on the top of
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  Speaker 1: such stopped holes. No fear of shutting in a rabbit,
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  Speaker 1: as the smell of the tarred ferret will keep them
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  Speaker 1: out for days, and no fear of their opening the stopping,
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  Speaker 1: as the paper will drive them away for four days.
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  Speaker 1: This work goes on, and we are ready to wager
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  Speaker 1: there is not a hole in the cliffs or deans
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  Speaker 1: that is not docted, and not a rabbit that is
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  Speaker 1: not above ground. It was Wednesday night when we had finished,
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  Speaker 1: and that evening the two boys from the rectory came
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  Speaker 1: down to the inn to see us and get instructions
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  Speaker 1: for the morrow. But I was glad they did not
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  Speaker 1: stay long, for we wanted to get to bed early
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  Speaker 1: so as to get a good night and yet be
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  Speaker 1: up betimes. By eight o'clock next morning, Jack and I
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  Speaker 1: were already back from the Deans after having run out
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  Speaker 1: one thousand yards of long nets. The nets are in
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  Speaker 1: lengths of about one hundred yards and two feet six
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  Speaker 1: inches high, made of fine string, and each of the
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  Speaker 1: top and bottom meshes knotted on to a cord that
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  Speaker 1: runs the entire length. To set these nets, they are
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  Speaker 1: threaded on to a smooth stick four feet long, and
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  Speaker 1: the stick with the nets on is thrown over a
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  Speaker 1: man's shoulder. The man walks off with the nets along
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  Speaker 1: the border of a piece of ground to be enclosed,
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  Speaker 1: while another, after fixing the end of the first net
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  Speaker 1: fast to a starting stick, follows behind. As the man
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  Speaker 1: with the net proceeds, he lets the net slip slowly
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  Speaker 1: off the stick on his shoulder piece by piece, and
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  Speaker 1: as it comes down, the man behind picks up the
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  Speaker 1: top line, giving the net a shake, and twists the
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  Speaker 1: line round the top of stakes previously placed in the
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  Speaker 1: ground about fifty yards apart. Taking care as he goes.
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  Speaker 1: At the bottom of the net lies for a few
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  Speaker 1: inches on the ground. In this way, squares of gorse
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  Speaker 1: about two hundred yards can be entirely enclosed, and every
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  Speaker 1: rabbit inside them surrounded like sheep inside a fold. Our
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  Speaker 1: breakfast over, we were soon out again with all our dogs,
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  Speaker 1: except old Chance, who had been left at home on
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  Speaker 1: account of her age, and also on account of her
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  Speaker 1: trick of always liking to go up to the carriers
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  Speaker 1: each night to sleep. And we had also two real
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  Speaker 1: good lurches. At the foot of the deanes, we met
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  Speaker 1: the boys from the rectory with a friend about their
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  Speaker 1: own age, and the curate of the next parish with
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  Speaker 1: a business like ash stick under his arm. And among
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  Speaker 1: them they had mustered a pack of ten terriers, some
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  Speaker 1: of which wanted to begin work by a fight with
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  Speaker 1: my dogs. But it takes two to make a quarrel,
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  Speaker 1: and my dogs know better than to waste their strength
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  Speaker 1: in fighting when there's a day's work in front of them.
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  Speaker 1: In a few minutes we were at the first piece
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  Speaker 1: of netted gorse, a real terer, close compact, and a
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  Speaker 1: mass of thorns. But what dogs or boys care for gorse?
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  Speaker 1: Thorns when rabbits are on foot, so it is over
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  Speaker 1: you go boys, high end dogs rouse them out there.
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  Speaker 1: The old dogs spring the nets and are at work
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  Speaker 1: in a minute, while the young ones blunder and struggle
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  Speaker 1: in the nets and have to be lifted over the
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  Speaker 1: curate Jack and I and the man who drove the
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  Speaker 1: cart with the nets, and who will carry off the
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  Speaker 1: dead rabbits stand at the nets and take out and
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  Speaker 1: kill the rabbits that get caught. And for the first
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  Speaker 1: hour we have as much as we can do, and
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  Speaker 1: work our hardest. Many rabbits do get through the nets,
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  Speaker 1: and others go back, and these latter it is difficult
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  Speaker 1: to get into the nets a second time, and they
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  Speaker 1: are killed by the dogs in the thick gorse. Yap, yap, yap,
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  Speaker 1: high in good dogs, high in young ones. Ah back
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  Speaker 1: there back now going over the nets. Root U look here,
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  Speaker 1: hi there in you go, yap, yap, yap, All scurry,
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  Speaker 1: rush and bustle, And the rectory boys and their friend
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  Speaker 1: are all over the square at once, and in ten
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  Speaker 1: minutes so tingle from innumerable pricks from the gorse, that
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  Speaker 1: they are benumbed, and feel them no more, go fly,
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  Speaker 1: go and a big hare dashes out with Fly after it,
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  Speaker 1: and both jump the net and make for another clump
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  Speaker 1: of gorse. But Fly has never been beaten since she
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  Speaker 1: was a puppy, and soon returns with the hair in
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  Speaker 1: her mouth high in dogs high in. There are more yet,
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  Speaker 1: and we are bound to make a clean sweep, And
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  Speaker 1: so the work goes on, first one patch, then another,
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  Speaker 1: till lunch time, which said lunch, according to a long
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  Speaker 1: standing custom, comes up in a cart from the rectory.
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  Speaker 1: But after snatching a hurried bit, the man and I
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  Speaker 1: have to bustle away to shift the nets, a work
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  Speaker 1: that keeps us hard at it for an hour and more.
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  Speaker 1: But long before we have done, the boys, parson and
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  Speaker 1: dogs are at it again. On one of the first
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  Speaker 1: patches we have surrounded, and it is night and the
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  Speaker 1: moon is up. Before we have finished and packed up
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  Speaker 1: the nets, we find on counting the bag that we
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  Speaker 1: have two hundred and seventy rabbits, and feel content with
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  Speaker 1: our day's work. On Friday and Saturday the same work.
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  Speaker 1: And when we turned homewards on this last night, it
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  Speaker 1: was as much as man, boys or dogs could do
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  Speaker 1: to drag themselves along. But we had killed six hundred
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  Speaker 1: and fifty rabbits in the three days and were well content.
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  Speaker 1: End of Chapter eight.