1 50 The Gamekeeper at Home. 



If it be too small he will simply thrust it aside ; if 

 too large his body will slip through, and his hind leg 

 will be captured : being crooked, it draws the noose 

 probably. Then if caught by the hind leg, the 

 wretched creature, mad with terror, will shriek his 

 loudest ; and a hare shrieks precisely like a human 

 being in distress. The sound, well understood by 

 the watchers, will at once reveal what is going 

 forward. But there may be no watchers about ; and 

 in that case the miserable animal will tug and tug 

 during the night till the wire completely bares the 

 lower bone of the leg, and in the morning, should any 

 one pass, his leaps and bounds and rolls will of course 

 be seen. Sometimes he twists the wire till it snaps, 

 and so escapes — but probably to die a lingering death, 

 since the copper or brass is pretty sure to mortify the 

 flesh. No greater cruelty can be imagined. The 

 poacher, however, is very anxious to avoid it, as it 

 may lead to detection ; and if his wire is properly set 

 the animal simply hangs himself, brought up with a 

 sudden jerk which kills him in two seconds, and with 

 less pain than is caused by the sting of the sports- 

 man's cartridge. 



Experience is required to set the loop at the right 

 height above the ground. It is measured by placing 

 the clenched fist on the earth, and then putting the 



