登陆注册
20065500000031

第31章 Bush Cats(2)

The fossicker had rabbits for breakfast until he got sick of them, and then he used to swap them with a butcher for meat.

The cat was named Ingersoll, which indicates his sex and gives an inkling to his master's religious and political opinions. Ingersoll used to prospect round in the gloaming until he found some rabbit holes which showed encouraging indications. He would shepherd one hole for an hour or so every evening until he found it was a duffer, or worked it out; then he would shift to another. One day he prospected a big hollow log with a lot of holes in it, and more going down underneath.

The indications were very good, but Ingersoll had no luck.

The game had too many ways of getting out and in. He found that he could not work that claim by himself, so he floated it into a company.

He persuaded several cats from a neighbouring selection to take shares, and they watched the holes together, or in turns -- they worked shifts.

The dividends more than realised even their wildest expectations, for each cat took home at least one rabbit every night for a week.

A selector started a vegetable garden about the time when rabbits were beginning to get troublesome up country.

The hare had not shown itself yet. The farmer kept quite a regiment of cats to protect his garden -- and they protected it. He would shut the cats up all day with nothing to eat, and let them out about sundown; then they would mooch off to the turnip patch like farm-labourers going to work. They would drag the rabbits home to the back door, and sit there and watch them until the farmer opened the door and served out the ration of milk. Then the cats would turn in.

He nearly always found a semi-circle of dead rabbits and watchful cats round the door in the morning. They sold the product of their labour direct to the farmer for milk. It didn't matter if one cat had been unlucky -- had not got a rabbit -- each had an equal share in the general result.

They were true socialists, those cats.

One of those cats was a mighty big Tom, named Jack. He was death on rabbits; he would work hard all night, laying for them and dragging them home.

Some weeks he would graft every night, and at other times every other night, but he was generally pretty regular. When he reckoned he had done an extra night's work, he would take the next night off and go three miles to the nearest neighbour's to see his Maria and take her out for a stroll.

Well, one evening Jack went into the garden and chose a place where there was good cover, and lay low. He was a bit earlier than usual, so he thought he would have a doze till rabbit time.

By-and-bye he heard a noise, and slowly, cautiously opening one eye, he saw two big ears sticking out of the leaves in front of him.

He judged that it was an extra big bunny, so he put some extra style into his manoeuvres. In about five minutes he made his spring.

He must have thought (if cats think) that it was a whopping, old-man rabbit, for it was a pioneer hare -- not an ordinary English hare, but one of those great coarse, lanky things which the bush is breeding.

The selector was attracted by an unusual commotion and a cloud of dust among his cabbages, and came along with his gun in time to witness the fight.

First Jack would drag the hare, and then the hare would drag Jack; sometimes they would be down together, and then Jack would use his hind claws with effect; finally he got his teeth in the right place, and triumphed.

Then he started to drag the corpse home, but he had to give it best and ask his master to lend a hand. The selector took up the hare, and Jack followed home, much to the family's surprise. He did not go back to work that night; he took a spell. He had a drink of milk, licked the dust off himself, washed it down with another drink, and sat in front of the fire and thought for a goodish while.

Then he got up, walked over to the corner where the hare was lying, had a good look at it, came back to the fire, sat down again, and thought hard. He was still thinking when the family retired.

同类推荐
  • 明世宗宝训

    明世宗宝训

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金丹四百字

    金丹四百字

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 苌楚斋五笔

    苌楚斋五笔

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 艺圃撷余

    艺圃撷余

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 乡塾正误幼学篇

    乡塾正误幼学篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 武印封天

    武印封天

    在一个不仅有魔法斗气还有“血脉武印”的世界,我们的主角的血脉武印会是什么,又会走上怎样的强者之路呢。求收藏,求推介,求关注。
  • 守墓人之碎玉

    守墓人之碎玉

    当守墓人遇上盗墓贼,他们又会擦出怎样的火花呐?身世的纠葛,前世今生的恩怨,古墓中的探险。当一切的一切最终揭晓的时候!又会有什么最终在等待着他们。引:琳——玉也情丝之寄~碎玉残身土木之所弃?千年轮回之期将近命运之轮扭转逢之日尽情观之——碎玉咳咳好吧上面那段好像有点太文艺了,和我这惊险小说不太符哈哈,其实它就像我的楔子一样是为后文结局什么的做引子的,也是我潜心想了好久才拽了那么几句文词。此文纯属虚构,但绝对原创!在下首次创作,你们懂哒~最后欢迎意见与建议么么哒~
  • 男孩心 女孩心:中学生心理咨询热线的报告

    男孩心 女孩心:中学生心理咨询热线的报告

    中学校园里的男孩女孩,当你本书在手的时候,你一定暗自惊喜:啊,我终于拥有了一份心灵自助餐,真棒! 一切成就,都始于健康的心理。人的身体也许很强健,而心灵却常常更怕风吹雨淋,常常遭遇了一点风雨就仿佛自己碰上了世界末日。我的心灵世界也有满天阴云的时候,在那阴天的日子里,也好像再也看不到阳光了。我猜,你肯定也有过这样的日子。可是,当你的心灵在风雨中摇摇晃晃又站稳之后,你看到阳光还是那样灿烂,每一天还是好日子。你知道是谁救助了你?不管你曾经得益于谁的帮助,其实,最终救助你的只有一个人,那就是——你自己。
  • 误惹无情冷总裁(全本)

    误惹无情冷总裁(全本)

    出差提前回来,看到两个人--一个是即将与自己举行婚礼的未婚夫,另一个则是同窗七年的好朋友。痛彻心肺又如何,日子还是一样的要过。用堆积如山的公事,把自己的伤心摒弃在心门之外。却在因为抢着拿全勤奖的时候,错坐了总裁的专用电梯。难道她把那位传说中的冰山总裁惹毛了吗?MYGOD,她不是故意的!可是这位总裁先生却在拒绝了无数名门淑女之后,挑中了她,荣登--总裁情人的宝座。既然是我的,就不许你再和别的男人有什么纠葛!冰山总裁冷冷地宣布守则第一条……=================================================
  • 透视渔民

    透视渔民

    叶天因为救人得罪富少,被人打瞎双眼,而后更是被富少换上假眼角膜,阴错阳差之下获得透视能力,靠透视他能清晰看到海水中的海鲜,帮家里摆脱困境,一步步崛起。
  • 道域纪

    道域纪

    在一场灭国之战中,依靠神秘道人的符隶逃过一死,机缘巧合这下踏上修炼道路,于是有了一个逆天强者崛起,踏天,诸神,弑仙,纵横三千道域.......
  • 九域尘封

    九域尘封

    你准备好了吗?当幸运来临,你是否能够抓的住?现实与理想?坚持与机遇?想多了吧?想多了太累!不如来看看平庸小人物的崛起历程!点支烟!倒杯清茶!放点音乐!或者抱着女朋友!你会觉得九域还不错!眼睛累了,你可以在评论区吐吐口水!实在不过瘾就狠狠的砸上几张推荐!不要问个为什么!有票就这么任性!
  • 游戏之边缘人物

    游戏之边缘人物

    重生成为半11C半玩家...天赋,才能,机缘,资源,随意一样都可以铸造一个游戏皇帝...主角却只想打破这一身枷锁为寻找自身的超脱而努力
  • QQ飞车之穿越烽火线

    QQ飞车之穿越烽火线

    这里有流传千古的兄弟情谊,这里有世人口中的伟大爱情,这里有枪与魔法的对抗,在这里,我将为你们呈现一部完美的兄弟热血小说。
  • 维新大将军

    维新大将军

    17岁军迷大佬杨林穿越在1863年倒幕运动前夕的日本,化身维新军官胜宗秀,一步步升官发财,却不知道他的到来改变了历史的进程。。