38 THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



wholly ignorant as to what a fox will, or will not, do. 

 In their own minds they will determine that no fox 

 shall live within their beat, if they can help it, and 

 they are often cunning enough to conceal their real 

 line of policy even from their employers. We have 

 known of keepers who had been brought up from 

 infancy to regard foxes as their natural enemies ; who 

 had been taught when boys that every fox must be 

 killed when opportunity offered, and whom it was 

 practically impossible to bring to a proper frame of 

 mind with regard to foxes. One such man had been 

 employed almost from infancy on a big estate, where his 

 uncle was head keeper. In due time he filled his uncle's 

 shoes, and for a period of five-and-twenty years the 

 shooting was let and foxes were religiously put down. 

 Then a hunting man came into possession, kept the 

 shooting, and informed the keeper that foxes must in 

 future be strictly preserved. But there was practically 

 no change ; Scotch cubs which had been turned down 

 mysteriously disappeared, and though the coverts were 

 now drawn regularly, hounds never found except very 

 occasionally in the spring of the year, when an odd 

 travelling fox was on the move. The owner was in 

 despair, and consulted the master of hounds, and told 

 him that of course he could not solve the mystery, but 

 village gossip still credited the keeper with vulpicide. 

 The keeper was sent for and interrogated, when he 

 quietly remarked that it was quite true, he had killed the 

 foxes, and he supposed it was in the blood, for he really 

 could not help it. He then and there wished to go, 

 but his master did not wish to lose the services of a man 

 who had been born and had worked all his life on the 

 estate, and offered to give him another chance. Then, 

 probably for the first time in his life, the man realised 



