The Confessions of a Poacher. 81 



this knowledge was put to good use in my 

 actual poaching raids. Here is an instance of 

 what I mean : I had noticed the great pug- 

 nacity of the pheasant, and out of this made 

 capital. After first finding out the where- 

 abouts of the keeper, I fitted a trained 

 game-cock with artificial spurs, and then took 

 it to the covert side. The artificial spurs were 

 fitted to the natural ones, were sharp as 

 needles, and the plucky bird already knew 

 how to use them. Upon his crowing, one 

 or more cock pheasants would immediately 

 respond, and advance to meet the adversary. 

 A single blow usually sufficed to lay low the 

 pride of the pheasant, and in this way half-a- 

 dozen birds were bagged, whilst my own 

 representative remained unhurt. 



I had another ingenious plan (if I may say 

 so) in connection with pheasants, and, perhaps, 

 the most successful. I may say at once that 

 there is nothing sportsmanlike about it ; but 

 then that is in keeping with most of what I 

 have set down. If time and opportunity offer 

 there is hardly any limit to the depredation 



