Then she heard voices, and going nearer the fence, tried to see through the briars.
Festing, with a pocket-knife and some brass wire in his hand, confronted a big slouching man who carried a heavy stick and a net bag.

Bits of fur stuck to the fellow's clothes and there was blood on his dirty hands.
A half-grown lad with another stick waited, rather uneasily, in the background.
"What might you be doing ?" the man inquired.
"I'm cutting up your snares," Festing replied.

"What have you got to say about it ?" The other gave him a slow, sullen look.

"Only that you'd better leave the snares alone.

How many rabbits ?" "Four," said Festing, pulling up another snare and cutting the noose.
"Then that will be five shillings.