8o CONVERSATIONAL HINTS 



can almost hear him saying to himself, ' Things 

 are played out ; the world is worthless ! ' 



All these characteristics are the keeper's de- 

 spair; though, to be sure, he has staunch 

 lieutenants in his under-keepers ; and towards the 

 end of the day he can always count on two sympa- 

 thising allies in the postman and the policeman. 

 These two never fail to come out in the afternoon 

 to join the beaters. It is amusing to watch the 

 demeanour of the beaters in the policeman's 

 presence. Some of them, it is possible, have been 

 immeshed by the law, and have made the constable's 

 acquaintance in his professional capacity. Others 

 are conscious of undiscovered peccadilloes, or they 

 feel that on some future day they may be led to 

 transgress rules, of which the policeman is the 

 sturdy embodiment. None of them is, therefore, 

 quite at his best in the policeman's presence. 

 Their attitude may be described as one of uneasy 

 familiarity, bursting here and there into jocular 

 nervousness, but never quite attaining the rollicking 

 point. You may sometimes take advantage of this 

 feeling to let off a joke on a beater. Select a stout, 

 plethoric one, and say to him, ' Mind you keep your 

 eye on the policeman, or he'll poach a rabbit before 



