214 The Gamekeeper at Home. 



may not be made for years. Of course all keepers of 

 this character are not systematically vicious : many 

 are only guilty occasionally, when a peculiarly favour- 

 able opportunity offers. 



Another class of keeper is rather passively than 

 actively bad. This is the idle man, whose pipe is 

 ever in his mouth and whose hands are always in his 

 pockets. He is often what is called a good-natured 

 fellow — soft-spoken, respectful, and willing ; liked by 

 everybody ; a capital comrade in his own class, and, 

 in fact, with too many friends of a certain set 



Gamekeeping is an occupation peculiarly favour- 

 able to loafing if a man is inclined that way. He 

 can sit on the rails and gates, lounge about the 

 preserves, go to sleep on the sward in the shade ; call 

 at the roadside inn, and, leaning his gun against the 

 tree from which the sign hangs, quaff his quart in 

 indolent dignity. By degrees he easily falls into bad 

 habits, takes too much liquor, finds his hands unsteady, 

 becomes too lazy to repress poaching (which is a weed 

 that must be constantly pulled up, or it will grow with 

 amazing rapidity), and finally is corrupted, and shares 

 the proceeds of bolder rascals. His assistants do as 

 they please. He has no control over them : they 

 know too much about him. 



It is a curious fact that there are poaching villages 



