ae the village, an' atween them a' they should create a
bit disturbance amang they lang-tailed rascals."

Alan looked at Marjory and grinned, remembering yesterday's
conversation.

Poor Peter's heart had been sorely tried by the depredations of his
long-tailed enemies. The hen-house, the barn, even the apple storehouse
had been visited by them with disastrous results, so he rejoiced at the
prospect of the coming conflict. The next morning, a stout stick in his
hand and war in his eye, he stood awaiting the arrival of the party.
Silky had been tied up, so that the ratters might have a clear field for
action.

Marjory went down the hill to meet Blanche, and they arrived upon the
scene just as Alan, punctual to the appointed time, came up with his
ferret in a small bag, and his brother's dog, Jock, on a leash.

"He's awfully keen," Alan explained. "He only had half his usual last
night, and nothing this morning; so I put him on the leash in case he
might go tearing off after some rabbit, and I couldn't get him back
again."

There was some hitch about getting the other dog; it could not be found
when the time came. Alan was secretly pleased that Jock should have to
fight single-handed, for then all the honour and glory would fall to his
share.

As for Jock, he was indeed keen. He seemed to know that there was
excitement in store for him, and he was pulling and straining at the
leash, jumping up and down, and giving little short yelps and barks.

"We'll try the barn first," ordered Peter, the commander-in-chief.

Alan handed Jock over to Marjory, and they went to the barn as directed.
Alan put his ferret into a well-used hole.

"Let go!" he shouted to Marjory.

Jock was let loose, and the fun began. It was a most exciting
time--scratching, scrambling, racing, leaping. In and out of barns and
outbuildings went Jock, his heart in his work. The ferret, too, did his
duty quite nobly. The spectators, waving their sticks and shouting
encouragement, ran and scrambled too.

Old Peter, capless, his hair and beard streaming in the wind, danced and
capered like a boy whenever Jock appeared victoriously shaking a rat
between his teeth. The girls, too, kept in the thick of the fight,
Marjory forgetting all her doubts in the excitement of the moment.

One very large rat gave Jock a great deal of trouble. In and out of the
barn it went, Jock in full cry after it, through the hen-run, scattering
the flustered fowls screeching