The Shooting Season, 45 



CHAPTER III. 



IN THE FIELDS. 



Much other work besides preventing poaching falls 

 upon the keeper, such as arranging for the battue, 

 stopping fox • earths ' when the hounds are coming, 

 feeding the young birds and often the old stock in 

 severe weather, and even some labour of an agricul- 

 tural character. 



A successful battue requires no little finesse and 

 patience exercised beforehand ; weeks are spent in 

 preparing for the amusement of a few hours. The 

 pheasants are sometimes accustomed to leave the 

 wood in a certain direction chosen as specially favour- 

 able for the sport — some copses at a little distance are 

 used as feeding places, so that the birds naturally work 

 that way. Much care is necessary to keep a good 

 head of game together, not too much scattered about 

 on the day fixed upon. The difficulty is to prevent 

 them from wandering off in the early morning ; and 

 men are stationed like sentinels at the usual points of 



