The Confessions of a 'Poacher. 83 



never entrapped into firing at these dummies, 

 and it is only with the casual that the ruse 

 acts. He fires, brings the keepers from 

 their hiding places, and is caught. Still an- 

 other method of bagging " long-tails," though 

 one somewhat similar to that already set 

 down : It requires two persons, and the exact 

 position of the birds must be known. A black 

 night is necessary ; a stiff bamboo rod, and a 

 dark lantern. One man flashes the concen- 

 trated light upon the bare branches, when 

 immediately half a dozen necks are stretched 

 out to view the apparition. Just then the 

 " angler " slips a wire nooze over the craned 

 neck nearest him, and it is jerked down as 

 quickly, though as silently as possible. Number 

 two is served in like manner, then a third, 

 a fourth, and a fifth. This method has the 

 advantage of silence, though, if unskilfully 

 managed, sometimes only a single bird is 

 secured, and the rest flutter wildly off into 

 the darkness. 



Poachers often come to untimely ends. 

 Here is an actual incident which befell one 



