iver, I saw a
water-vole on the opposite bank. The animal was sitting on a small stump
close to the water's edge. Having, of course, the pistol with me, and
wanting to dissect a water-vole, I proceeded to aim at the animal. This
was not so easy as it looked. A water-vole crouching upon a stump
presents no point at which to aim, the brown fur of the animal and the
brown surface of the old weather-beaten stump seeming to form a single
object without any distinct outline; moreover, it is very difficult to
calculate distances over water. However, I fired, and missed.

I naturally expected the animal to plunge into the river and escape. To
my astonishment, it remained in the same position. Finding that it did
not stir, I reloaded, and again fired and missed. Four times did I fire
at that water-vole, and after the last shot the animal slowly crawled
off the stump, slid into the river, and made off.

Now in those days revolvers and breech-loaders did not exist, so that
the process of loading a pistol with ball was rather a long and
complicated one.

First, the powder had to be carefully measured from the flask; then a
circular patch of greased linen had to be laid on the muzzle of the
weapon, and a ball laid on it and hammered into the barrel with a leaden
or wooden mallet; then it had to be driven into its place with a ramrod
(often requiring the aid of the mallet), and, lastly, there was a new
cap to be fitted. Yet although so much time was occupied between the
shots, the animal remained as motionless as a stuffed figure.

When I crossed the river and examined the stump I found all the four
bullets close together just below the spot on which the animal had been
sitting, and neither of them two inches from its body. Although the
balls had missed the water-vole, they must have sharply jarred the
stump.

I was afterwards informed that this semi-paralysis from sudden fear is a
known characteristic of the animal. It seems to be shared by others of
the same genus, as will be seen when we come to treat of the field mice.

In its mode of eating it much resembles the squirrels, sitting on its
haunches and holding the food in its forepaws, as if they were hands. I
am not aware that it even eats worms or insects, and it may be
absolutely acquitted from any imputation of doing harm to any of the
fish tribe.

(_To be continued._)

"SHE COULDN'T BOIL A POTATO;"

OR,

THE IGNORANT HOUSEKEEPER, AND HOW SHE ACQUIRED KNOWLE