196 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



As this took place within thirty yards of a keeper's 

 cottage, the order to let the horses go was on their 

 part a very wise one. 



Pheasants that have not been reared artificially 

 know how to take care of themselves perfectly. 

 Some come to grief, but not to the extent the pub- 

 lic is led to believe at times. Instead of being 

 feathered idiots, as is implied, they are very wide- 

 awake birds indeed. A few pheasants have been 

 magnified into a sackful at times, and from that to 

 a cart-load. For the sake of experiment, let one 

 of those who inform the public so glibly how things 

 are done, get a small sack, fill it full of hay, and 

 walk along any country road at night. Then let 

 him see how far he will go with it without being 

 challenged. If people were all asleep with their hands 

 in their pockets, and their ears stuffed with cotton- 

 wool, wholesale poaching might be carried on. 



Bad beer, and what is far worse, doctored spirits, 

 lead loafing louts, whose highest feat has been the 

 capture of a couple of tough rabbits, to speak fool- 

 ishly about what they have done, and what they 

 will yet do; but the man who really does do it 

 keeps his mouth shut, and he would scorn to be 



