96 WHISPERS FROM FAIRYLAND. (tr.

 

another attempt until a minute or two had elapsed.
Then, much nearer than before, the sounds of a
human voice reached my ear and awakened me to life
again, With another flutter I rose from the ground,
a sharp pang ran through my right leg right up into
my body, and my whole leg seemed to have been
left behind as I rose a free bird from the ground. It
was not so, however. My leg was left me, but my
foot, severed at the ankle, remained in the trap, and I
fluttered with only one foot on to the top of the
hedge, and sat there ready to die with pain and ex-
haustion. The good little squirrel watched me with
the greatest interest and gave me such words of com-
fort and encouragement as he had at his command. -
As, however, he did not feel over and above secure in
the immediate neighbourhood of man, he scuttled
away over the dry leaves as fast as he could when he
heard footsteps drawing near. From my post in the
hedge I observed a man in a black velveteen coat,
thick trowsers and gaiters, with a stick in his hand,
come slowly along the track, followed by a black re-
triever. He stopped when he came near the hedge
and stood looking at the trap which my struggles had
dragged from beneath the leaves.

‘Drat them poachers!’ he exclaimed after a
moment, ‘they’re at it again—that rascal Bailey set
that trap, Pll be bound. Pretty bold, too, right inside
our wood ;’ and stooping down he took the trap up in
his hand and examined it. ‘Well, he presently con-
tinued, ‘no pheasant for him this time, at all events.
Nothing but a rook’s foot, and that’s more than he'll
get,’ and so saying, he opened the teeth, let my poor foot