That was a
piece of his cunning--that he might escape responsibility.
The shepherd, too, when obliquely questioned, shook his head, pursed his
lips, threw his pitching-bar over his shoulder, and marched off with a
mysterious hint that our friend Ikey would some day put his 'vut in it.'
It did not surprise us that the shepherd should turn his back on
anything of the kind; for he was a leading man among the 'Ranters,' and
frequently exhorted them in his cottage.
The carter's lad was about at the time, and for the moment we thought of
applying to him. He was standing on the threshold of the stable, under
the horseshoes and weasles' feet nailed up to keep the witches away,
teasing a bat that he had found under the tiles. But suddenly the dusky
thing bit him sharply, and he uttered an oath; while the creature,
released, flew aimlessly into the elms. It was better to avoid him.
Indoors, they would have put a very heavy hand upon the notion had they
known of it: so we had to rely solely upon the teaching of experiment.
In the first attempt, a stick that had been put by for the thatcher, but
which he had not yet split, was cut short and sharpened for the plug
that prevents the animal carrying away the wire when snared. This is
driven into the earth; at the projecting end a notch was cut to hold the
string attached to the end of the wire away from the run.
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