The Confessions of a 'Poacher. 69 



swift dogs, which are taken above the game. 

 Puss is made to run down-hill, when, from her 

 peculiar formation, she goes at a disadvantage. 

 Audacity almost invariably stands the poacher 

 in good stead. Here is an actual incident. 

 I knew of a certain field of young wheat in 

 which was several hares a fact observed 

 during the day This was hard by the keeper's 

 cottage, and surrounded by a high fence of 

 loose stones. It will be seen that the situa- 

 tion was somewhat critical, but that night 

 my nets were set at the gates through which 

 the hares always made. To drive them the 

 dog was to range the field, entering it at a 

 point furthest away from the gate. I bent 

 my back in the road a yard from the wall 

 to aid the dog. It retired, took a mighty 

 spring, and barely touching my shoulders y 

 bounded over the fence. The risk was justi- 

 fied by the haul, for that night I bagged nine 

 good hares. 



Owing to the scarcity of game, hare- 

 poaching is now hardly worth following, and I 

 believe that what is known as the Ground 



