ij6 The Gamekeeper at Ho7?ze. 



the place unchecked. The tenants of the allotments, 

 however, instead of driving them off, are anxious that 

 they should come sniffing and limping over the plots 

 in the gloaming, and are strongly suspected of allow- 

 ing crops specially pleasing to game to remain in the 

 ground till the very latest period in order that they 

 may snare it. 



Much kindly talk has been uttered over allot- 

 ments, and undoubtedly they are a great encourage- 

 ment to the labourer ; yet even this advantage is com- 

 monly abused. The tenants have no ground of 

 complaint as to damage to their crops, because the 

 keeper, at a word from them, would lose not a 

 moment of time in killing or driving away the 

 intruder ; and as an acknowledgment of honesty and 

 in reparation of the mischief, if any, a couple of 

 rabbits would be presented to the man who carried 

 the complaint. But the labourer, if he spies the 

 tracks of a hare running into his plot of corn, or 

 suspects that a pheasant is hiding there, carefully 

 keeps that knowledge to himself. He knows that 

 a pheasant, if you can get close enough to it before it 

 rises, is a clumsy bird, and large enough to offer a 

 fair mark, and may be brought down with a stout 

 stick dexterously thrown. As very probably the 

 pheasant is a young one and (not yet having under- 



