Studies in the Art of Rat-catching |
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Common terms and phrases
bank beach beast bitten blinking boat boy Jack burrows catch Chance Come-by-Chance comes Cotswold cottage dark dash day's dead rabbit dead rat deep Denes dogs door earth eyes face fear feet give Gloucestershire goes gorse Grindum half hand harbour head hedge human voice Jack keep kennel killed a rat legs let the dogs look lurchers master minutes morning mouth muzzle nets never night nose once parson pass Pepper and Wasp pick pipe pond put the ferret quiet rabbit rat-catching rat's hole rats bolt rector round sailors sand-pit shed side sitting snug soft soon spade STAMFORD STREET stand stick storm strong supper tail tell thick thing Tinker told took turned twopence village walk War ferret warm watched wave wife WILLIAM CLOWES wind yacht yards young
Popular passages
Page 17 - I have shown is large enough for ten ferrets. For a mother with a family a much smaller box will suffice, but it should be made on the same plan. For bedding use only wheat-straw. Either barley-straw or hay will give ferrets mange in a few days. After housing the ferrets, they will require feeding. I have always given my ferrets bread and milk once or twice a week, which was placed in flat tins in the middle compartment; but care should be taken to clean out the tins each time, as any old sour milk...
Page 42 - I must say my experience proves that the shorter the pedigree the better the dog, and now if I could get them I should like to keep dogs that never had a father.
Page 12 - ... from a rabbit better than his wife can. " In buying a ferret for work, get one from nine to fifteen months old, as young ferrets I find usually have more courage and dash than an old one. They have not been so often punished, and therefore do not think discretion the better part of valour. However, this will not be found to be an invariable rule. I have known old ferrets that would have faced a lion, and seemed to care nothing about being badly bitten ; whereas I have known a young ferret turn...
Page 24 - I have found that after a heavy day's work the box was apt to get heavy and feel as if it were a grandfather's clock hanging on your back. Then the ratting spade was engaged instead of being free to mump a rat on the head in a hurry, or point out a likely hole to the dogs. When a ferret was wanted, all the others would dash out and have to be hunted about to be re-caught. Now and then the lids came open and let all out ; and now and then I let the box slip off the spade and fall to the ground, and...
Page 33 - I got the man locked up in prison for three months, and it just served him right. Having learnt dog language, use it to your dog in a reasonable way : talk to him as a friend, tell him the news of the day, of your hopes and fears, your likes and dislikes, but above all use talk always in the place of a whip. For instance, when breaking in a young dog not to kill a ferret, take hold of the dog with a short line, put the ferret on the ground in front of him, and when he makes a dash at it say, " What...
Page 19 - wenom " in it; but, if there is, it won't hurt the ferrets, for they never eat it or the skin. If ferrets are properly cared for they are rarely ill, and the only trouble I have ever had is with mange, which, as I have said before, attacks the tail and feet. Most ratcatchers keep a bottle of spirits of tar, with which they dress the affected parts. It cures the mange, but, by the way the poor little beasts hop about after being dressed, I fear it stings dreadfully. I have always used sulphur and...
Page 24 - ... and fall to the ground, and then I felt sorry for the ferrets inside it ! No, I have always carried my ferrets in a good strong canvas bag, with a little clean straw at the bottom, and a leather strap and buckle stitched on to it with which to close it. Don't tie the bag with a piece of string — it is sure to get lost ; and don't have a stiff buckle on your strap that takes ten minutes to undo. Remember the life of a rat may depend upon your getting your ferret out quickly. Never throw the...