268 PRESERVATION OF GAME, 



notice correctly, or even the most common points of 

 what so materially concerns the duties of his situation. 



Keepers should be as widely distributed as possible, 

 by which means a marauder would have some difficulty 

 to steer clear of them all ; but these men (like markers) 

 are too apt to get idling and chattering together, instead 

 of minding their business. Each gamekeeper would do 

 well to have with him a witness, for which, any com- 

 mon labourer would be sufficient; and, above all, a 

 spy glass, by which he would most likely be able to 

 distinguish any man, who might beat him by being 

 longer in the legs than himself, or having a horse which 

 was a better fencer than his own ; and who he may, by 

 this means, be able to recognise hereafter, so as to find 

 him out, and serve him with notices. A few words 

 more, with regard to gamekeepers : 



Be careful how you trust any of them with guns, 

 under the pretence of their killing vermin ; for it is an 

 undoubted fact, that many of those, who are considered 

 very honest men by their employers, are yet so much 

 the contrary, that they will take every opportunity to 

 destroy game, when not under the immediate observa- 

 tion of their master. For instance a gamekeeper is 

 in a covert : he fires his gun, and pockets a pheasant or 

 a partridge, or kills a hare and conceals it: his master, 

 who is perhaps not out of hearing of the gun, comes 

 up and says " John, what did you shoot at ? " "A 



d d hawk, sir," replies the trusty guardian of the 



preserves. " Did you kill it, John?" " Oh, no, sir, 

 he was too far off; but I'm sure I properly peppered 

 him." " Where is he now?" " Lord bless you, sir, 

 he 's been out of sight these five minutes ! " 



