A PILL FOR THE POACHER. 43 



tates, where the game is strictly preserved, a good expe- 

 dient has been made use of to alarm at night the keepers 

 and the neighbourhood : viz. a considerable quantity 

 of gunpowder, well secured against rain and damp, with 

 several trains equally well protected, which communi- 

 cate with the powder. To these trains wires are 

 attached, which extend to a considerable distance, and 

 any person treading on them ignites the train, and a 

 tremendous explosion takes place, nearly equal to that 

 of a small brass gun. This has been found to effectually 

 thwart, for at least some time, the operations of the 

 poachers, who feel quite certain that this alarm will 

 soon bring the gamekeepers and their assistants down 

 upon them. Some gentlemen have an objection to 

 their gamekeepers carrying firearms at night, assigning 

 as a reason that in the rencontres between the keepers 

 and the poachers much blood would be spilt. But in 

 these affrays it ^vill generally be foimd that the blood 

 that is spilt is on the side of the gamekeeper and as- 

 sistants. Poachers who thus infringe the law in various 

 ways are guilty of trespassing on gentlemen's estates, 

 of shooting game without a licence, and after sunset. 

 It is therefore the paramount duty of the keepers and 

 assistants to do all in their power to capture these de- 

 linquents, in order that they may be punished ; but in 

 doing this they run considerable risk of being either 

 killed or wounded by these armed ruffians, more es- 

 pecially when they have only large sticks for their 

 defence ; and in the attempt to come to close quarters 

 with the poachers, you often hear of their being fired 

 at, and the distance being probably only a few yards, 

 this discharge must in all likelihood be fatal, or at least 

 must inflict a serious wound on the oljject fired at. 

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