ressed shook his head.

"Rabbuds don't want no killing off. Plenty on 'em drownded."

"Why," cried Dick, "it was only the other day you said that none were
hurt by the flood."

"Did I, Mester Dick? Ah, yow mustn't tek no notice o' what I say."

"But we shall take notice of what you say," cried Tom. "I don't believe
he has any ferrets left."

"Ay, bud I hev. Theer I'll tek you, lads. Why don't thou tek 'em wi'
you, Dave, man? Let un see the netting."

Dave smiled in a curious way, and then his eyes twinkled as he looked
from one to the other.

"Well, you wait a week, lads, and then I'll fetch you."

"To see the netting?"

"Ay. In another week there'll be a deal more dry land, and the ruffs
and reeves'll be ower in flocks, I dessay. If they aren't, we'll try
for something else."

"Hooray!" cried Dick; and that evening there was nothing talked of but
the projected trip.

CHAPTER SIX.

THE DEPARTING FLOOD.

The water sank slowly and steadily, leaving dry patches here and there
all over the fen; but the lake-like parts far exceeded the dry land, and
two or three fields still contained so much water that the squire set
men to work to cut a drain to carry it away.

"Kill two birds with one stone, Dick," he said. "It will be useful by
and by."

At the time Dick did not understand what his father meant; but it was
soon evident when all hands were hard at work cutting down through the
peat to make the dyke. For, instead of digging in the ordinary way, the
men carefully cut down through what was not earth, but thick
well-compressed black peat, each piece, about ten inches square and
three or four thick, to be carefully laid up like so much open brickwork
to drain and dry.

Good store for the next winter's fuel, for it was peat of fine quality
stored up by nature ages before, and not the soft brown mossy stuff
found in many places, stuff that burns rapidly away and gives out hardly
any heat. This peat about the Toft was coal's young relative, and
burned slowly into a beautiful creamy ash, giving out a glow of warmth
that was wanted there when the wind blew from the northern sea.

The two lads watched the process with interest--not that it was anything
new, for they had seen it done a hundred times; but they had nothing
else to do that morning, having tired themselves of gazing at the flocks
of birds which passed over to the feeding grounds laid bare by the
sinking water. It had been interestin