Page:Studies in the art of rat-catching (IA studiesinartofra00barkrich).pdf/18

4 voice spoke at last, and my destiny was settled.

With the modest capital of five shillings given me by my father, and a mongrel terrier, given me by a poacher who had to go into retirement for killing a pheasant and half killing a keeper, I began my career as a—but I had better give you one of my professional cards. Here it is—

I had a struggle at first. Rats, full-grown ones, only fetched twopence each, and the system adopted by farmers of letting their