270 THE NEW FOREST 



If it were too high, the ducks also sat too high, 

 and could detect the approach of their enemy 

 over the banks which should have concealed him. 

 If too low, it might not attract them sufficiently 

 to settle at all, and the whole stream would be 

 blank. It was, in all, a thoroughly sporting 

 piece of shooting, dependent upon all the chances 

 and risks and disappointments that go to make 

 up genuine sport. When these chances were 

 favourable, they yielded what I thought to be 

 a most delightful day. I know that twenty or 

 thirty head does not seem much to many a 

 shooter used to big bags of driven game. But in 

 the New Forest we were content with small 

 figures and rough shooting, gained by our own 

 personal exertions ; and, believe me, for I am very 

 familiar with both forms of shooting, there is 

 no less sport to be gained from one than there 

 is from the other, to anyone who is willing to 

 work for his pleasure, and obtain it by his own 

 exertions. 



There were other days sometimes days of 

 very good sport that I was able to obtain in 

 connection with the keeping down of rabbits. 



As I explained before, the old system, that 

 obtained before my day, of allowing the keepers 

 to regard the rabbits as their perquisite was a 

 thoroughly bad one. It led to the preservation 



