126 SPORT. 



into market, so he cannot carry on his trade. But 

 in many towns he can walk in with his gang, loaded with 

 game in broad daylight. No one says a word, and 

 the police dare not interfere for fear of a snub from 

 the Bench. Which is right, Liverpool or the other 

 towns ? One must be wrong, and I do not think it is 

 Liverpool. It seems to me that any town will be the 

 better for relief from a population of hereditary idlers, 

 even if they are not also drunkards and thieves, of 

 which the poaching community largely consists. 



I return to our host and his party. It must not 

 be supposed that there are no intermediate stages 

 between the perfection of his battue and the family 

 scramble I have tried to depict further back ; this 

 host was a model in every respect, and chiefly for that 

 reason all went well at his battues. He knew his 

 business ; every detail was arranged beforehand ; 

 every one knew his place. His temper was perfect ; 

 there was no noise, confusion, or rating of keepers, 

 as sometimes occurs to the detriment of everbody's 

 pleasure. Even the large crowds, amounting to 



