POACHERS AND POACHING. 55 



where. When toddlers fished these streams and 

 brooks, trouts and eels were numerous ; now you 

 will not find them. In all the cases that I have 

 known, directly boards were put up by the rivers, 

 brooks, and mill - streams, warning people not to 

 fish under the penalty of being prosecuted, the fish 

 in some mysterious manner disappeared. It is one 

 of the common remarks you will hear in all direc- 

 tions now, " Where are the fish ? " Before they 

 were preserved the water fairly stunk of fish, and 

 now they are gone. Many a thing is far better let 

 alone. Poaching I mean fish -poaching has had 

 nothing to do with the matter ; for, from the nature 

 of the waters that supplied these brooks and streams 

 with fish, it would be impossible to poach them. 

 There are certain waters that can be done nothing 

 with in that way. 



Dogs are looked on now with far more suspicion 

 than ever they were, and with less reason. The 

 silliest little muck of a mongrel, that would certainly 

 run away from a rat, is credited with unheard - of 

 destroying powers if game is handy. In fact, near 

 some of the well-boarded coverts to which I have 

 alluded, where far more game is frightened than killed, 



