130 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



pretty sure to catch foxes ; but their masters little think 

 that they will catch pheasants and hares with even more 

 certainty than foxes. I took a keeper some years ago 

 from rather a suspicious place, but, as he had a very good 

 recommendation, I determined to give him a trial. The 

 first thing he asked for were some steel traps, to catch 

 the vermin. Those, I told him, I never allowed. *' Pray, 

 Sir, if it is no offence, may I ask why you object to their 

 being used ?" " Simply," I replied, " for this reason, 

 that they will catch more foxes and pheasants than they 

 will vermin." ** I assure you, Sir, that I can set them 

 so that I can catch both vermin and rabbits, but never 

 injure foxes or pheasants." " Well," I said, "you must 

 be exceedingly clever, and I will test your ingenuity." 

 I gave him some traps, accordingly, which I desired he 

 would set in one particular part of the covert. The next 

 morning I visited these traps in propria persona, before 

 my learned keeper had arrived on the ground. In one 

 of them was the toe of a fox, and in another a pheasant's 

 claw. Mr, Keeper was rather taken aback at the ex- 

 hibition of these trophies of his skill, and, I need hardly 

 remark, there were no more traps set. Finding he had 

 one to deal with quite as wide awake as himself, or rather 

 more so, he never attempted to play tricks again; and he 

 lived with me for many years afterwards, always keeping 

 me plenty of game and plenty of foxes. A man who 

 cannot destroy vermin of every description without using 

 steel traps or laying ground baits with poison, is not 

 worthy to be called a keeper. I will in my next give 

 a few lessons to game preservers and keepers, how they 

 may keep down vermin, without either injury to foxes 

 or pheasants. 



