30 Poachers and Poaching. 



In one sleepy village known to us both the 

 rural postman and the -parish clerk were poachers. 

 The latter carried his game in the black bag 

 which usually held the funeral pall. The smith 

 at the shoeing forge was a regular receiver, and 

 there were few in the village who had not 

 poached at some time or other. The cottage 

 women netted fish, and shut the garden gates on 

 hares and rabbits when they came down to feed 

 in winter. Upon one occasion a poacher, 

 taking advantage of a country funeral, had 

 himself and a large haul taken to the nearest 

 market town, the hearse disgorging its question- 

 able corpse behind the nearest game shop. 

 Another of the poachers, nicknamed the " gentle- 

 man," was wont to attire himself in broad- 

 brimmed hat and frock coat similar to those 

 worn a century ago by the people called Quakers. 

 In the former he carried his nets, and in the 

 capacious pockets of the latter the game he took. 

 These outward guarantees of good faith away 

 from his own parish precluded him from ever 

 once being searched. 



Of late years egg poaching has been reduced 

 to a science ; and this is one of the worst phases 

 of the whole subject. In certain districts it is 

 carried on to a large extent, and comes of 

 artificial rearing. The squire's keeper will give 

 six pence each for pheasants' eggs and four 

 pence for those of partridges. He often buys 



