112 THE HUNTING FIELD 



which are his perquisites, I would have ;£"5 the 

 maximum of remuneration. Such a sum might be 

 adequate compensation to any good servant for the 

 trouble of doing his duty, and would be received 

 merely as a token of approbation of the manner 

 in which he discharged it, when the success of 

 his endeavours entitled him to such consideration. 

 There can be no reason why underkeepers, or other 

 labourers, might not as well undertake the earth- 

 stopping, on account of their regular employer, as 

 on that of recompense from a separate body." 



" It has been always the custom, in Herts," 

 continues our author, " to hold two Earth-stopper 

 feasts, one on each side of the country ; the 

 Huntsman presiding : they are attended by all the 

 Gamekeepers, Earth-stoppers, et hoc genus omne, of 

 the districts ; the annual expense of both seldom 

 exceeding £2,0 ; and they tend to implant, and keep 

 alive, sentiments most desirable to cherish." 



Mr. Smith devotes a whole chapter to keepers, 

 between whom and the world at large he seems 

 anxious to do justice. 



" There is an old saying," writes he, " ' give a dog 

 a bad name and hang him,' — which maxim is too 

 often applied to gamekeepers : for there are some 

 who are really friends to foxhunting, and who have 

 more pride in showing foxes with their pheasants, 

 that is in the same covers, than any others can have 

 in showing pheasants without them : innumerable 

 instances can be proved that foxes and pheasants can 

 be had in abundance in the same covers, particularly 

 where there are rabbits : the writer has seen five 

 foxes cross a ride in a cover, and nearly as many 

 hundred pheasants." 



In the following, Mr. Smith hits the right nail on 

 the head : — 



" The great objection which keepers have to foxes is, 

 that they destroy so great a number of rabbits, which 



