LETTER XXVI. 279 



going in a body, and having a day's shooting in his pre- 

 serves. As long as it is the fashion to let keepers have 

 rabbits as perquisites, foxes will be destroyed. *' Two 

 of a trade can never agree," and upon the head of the 

 devoted fox are placed all the young pheasants which 

 die of the pip, as well as the old ones which find their 

 way into Mr. Keeper's pocket, to exhibit their beautiful 

 plumage in the shop of some licensed dealer in game. 

 All these are put down to Mr. Reynolds's account, and 

 the ignorant master, believing all, of course, his keeper 

 tells him, is thus simple enough to lay all the blame 

 upon an almost innocent victim. 



In every country there are many fox-killers, some 

 known, others only suspected. A determined master of 

 hounds will, by some plan or other, make them ashamed 

 of it, if he sets to work in real earnest, supposing, of 

 course, that he is supported by the gentlemen of the 

 country generally. Every man has his weak point some- 

 where ; a careful observer will soon find it out, and there 

 he will work him until he is brought round. I never 

 listened to old women's stories or excuses. Where I 

 knew foxes ought to be found, there I always said openly 

 they were killed by the keepers. A gentleman in our 

 country was annoyed by a remark once made to this 

 purport, and said that he thought it hard to be set down 

 as a fox-killer, when he had given strict orders to his 

 keeper to preserve them. " That," I said, " is nothing 

 to the purpose ; your keeper disobeys your orders ; 

 therefore you should discharge him." " Prove it," he 

 replied, " and I will do so." " That," I said, " is not so 

 easy an affair, although I shall catch him out before 

 long ; but I will settle it another way, if you like. I 



