travel books: darted into the hedge. He fell flat, and shot his hand into the gap. But it had escaped. He lay there, panting ij, great sobs, and looking at me with eyes m which excitement and exhaustion struggled like flickering light and darkness. When he could speak, he said: `Why didn't you fall on top of it?' ` I couldn't,' said I. We returned again. The two children were peering into the thick corn also. We thought there was nothing more. George began to mow. As I walked round I caught sight of a xabbit skulking near the bottom corner of the patch. Its ears lay pressed against its back; I could see the palpitation of the heart under the brown fur, and I could see the shining dark eyes looking at me. I felt no pity for it, but still I could not actually hurt it. I beckoned to the father. He ran up, and aimed a blow with the rake. There was a sharp little cry which sent a hot pain through me as if I had been cut. But the rabbit ran out, and instantly I forgot the cry, and gave pursuit, fairly feeling my fingers stiffen to choke it. It was all lame. Leslie was upon it in a moment, and he almost pulled its head off in his excitement to kill it. I looked up. The girls were at the gate, just turning away. `There are no more,' said the father. At that instant Mary shouted: 'There's one down this hole.' The hole was too small for George to get his hand in, so we dug it out with the rake handle. The stick went savagely down the hole, and there came a squeak. 'Mice!' said George, and as he said it the mother slid out. Somebody knocked her on the back, and the hole was opened out. Little mice seemed to swarm everywhere. It was like killing insects. We counted nine little ones lying dead. Poor brute,' said George, looking at the mother, `what a job she must have had rearing that lot!' He picked her up, handled her curiously and with pity. Then he said: `Well, I may as well finish this to-night!' His father took another scythe from off the hedge, and together they soon laid the proud, quivering heads low. books

Books > Old Books > The White Peacock (1906)

Page 57

PART I - CHAPTER V
THE SCENT OF BLOOD

darted into the hedge. He fell flat, and shot his hand into the gap. But it had escaped. He lay there, panting ij, great sobs, and looking at me with eyes m which excitement and exhaustion struggled like flickering light and darkness. When he could speak, he said: `Why didn't you fall on top of it?'
` I couldn't,' said I.
We returned again. The two children were peering into the thick corn also. We thought there was nothing more. George began to mow. As I walked round I caught sight of a xabbit skulking near the bottom corner of the patch. Its ears lay pressed against its back; I could see the palpitation of the heart under the brown fur, and I could see the shining dark eyes looking at me. I felt no pity for it, but still I could not actually hurt it. I beckoned to the father. He ran up, and aimed a blow with the rake. There was a sharp little cry which sent a hot pain through me as if I had been cut. But the rabbit ran out, and instantly I forgot the cry, and gave pursuit, fairly feeling my fingers stiffen to choke it. It was all lame. Leslie was upon it in a moment, and he almost pulled its head off in his excitement to kill it.
I looked up. The girls were at the gate, just turning away.
`There are no more,' said the father.
At that instant Mary shouted:
'There's one down this hole.'
The hole was too small for George to get his hand in, so we dug it out with the rake handle. The stick went savagely down the hole, and there came a squeak.
'Mice!' said George, and as he said it the mother slid out. Somebody knocked her on the back, and the hole was opened out. Little mice seemed to swarm everywhere. It was like killing insects. We counted nine little ones lying dead.
Poor brute,' said George, looking at the mother, `what a job she must have had rearing that lot!' He picked her up, handled her curiously and with pity. Then he said: `Well, I may as well finish this to-night!'
His father took another scythe from off the hedge, and together they soon laid the proud, quivering heads low.