Bildungsromans; Midlands (England) -- Fiction; Young men -- Fiction
“Ay—Ay—Ay,” was the shout, “turn him—turn him!” We set off full pelt.
The bewildered little brute, scared by Leslie’s wild running and
crying, turned from its course, and dodged across the hill, threading
its terrified course through the maze of lying sheaves, spurting on in
a painful zigzag, now bounding over an untied bundle of corn, now
swerving from the sound of a shout. The little wretch was hard pressed;
George rushed upon it. It darted into some fallen corn, but he had seen
it, and had fallen on it. In an instant he was up again, and the little
creature was dangling from his hand.
We returned, panting, sweating, our eyes flashing, to the edge of the
standing corn. I heard Lettie calling, and turning round saw Emily and
the two children entering the field as they passed from school.
“There’s another!” shouted Leslie.
I saw the oat-tops quiver. “Here! Here!” I yelled. The animal leaped
out, and made for the hedge. George and Leslie, who were on that side,
dashed off, turned him, and he coursed back our way. I headed him off
to the father who swept in pursuit for a short distance, but who was
too heavy for the work. The little beast made towards the gate, but
this time Mollie, with her hat in her hand and her hair flying, whirled
upon him, and she and the little fragile lad sent him back again. The
rabbit was getting tired. It dodged the sheaves badly, running towards
the top hedge. I went after it. If I could have let myself fall on it I
could have caught it, but this was impossible to me, and I merely
prevented its dashing through the hole into safety. It raced along the
hedge bottom. George tore after it. As he was upon it, it darted into
the hedge. He fell flat, and shot his hand into the gap. But it had
escaped. He lay there, panting in great sobs, and looking at me with
eyes in which excitement and exhaustion struggled like flickering light
and darkness. When he could speak, he said, “Why didn’t you fall on top
of it?”
“I couldn’t,” said I.
We returned again. The two children were peering into the thick corn
also. We thought there was nothing more. George began to mow. As I
walked round I caught sight of a rabbit skulking near the bottom corner
of the patch. Its ears lay pressed against its back; I could see the
palpitation of the heart under the brown fur, and I could see the
shining dark eyes looking at me. I felt no pity for it, but still I
could not actually hurt it. I beckoned to the father. He ran up, and
aimed a blow with the rake. There was a sharp little cry which sent a
hot pain through me as if I had been cut. But the rabbit ran out, and
instantly I forgot the cry, and gave pursuit, fairly feeling my fingers
stiffen to choke it. It was all lame. Leslie was upon it in a moment,
and he almost pulled its head off in his excitement to kill it.
I looked up. The girls were at the gate, just turning away.
“There are no more,” said the father.
At that instant Mary shouted.
“There’s one down this hole.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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