But now he broke suddenly from all control, and disregarding Orion's anger--though with hanging tail--rushed into the hedge, and along the top of the mound where there was a thick mass of dead grass.

Little John hurled a clod of clay at him, but before I was quite out of the ditch the spaniel gave tongue, and at the same moment I saw a rabbit come from the ditch and run like mad across the field.
The dog gave chase--I rushed for my gun, which was some yards off, placed against a hollow withy tree.

The haste disconcerted the aim--the rabbit too was almost fifty yards away when I fired.

But the shot broke one hind leg--it trailed behind--and the spaniel had him instantly.
'Look at yer nets,' said Little John in a tone of suppressed indignation, for he disliked the noise of a gun, as all other noises.
I did look, and found that one net had been partly pushed aside; yet to so small an extent that I should hardly have believed it possible for the rabbit to have crept through.

He must have slipped out without the slightest sound and quietly got on the top of the mound without being seen.