260 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



peruse these pages, and take a leaf out of my book. \Vliere 

 there is a will, there is generally a way to do things. 



K a pheasant-preserver and fox-killer (they are often I regret 

 to say synonymous terms) be situated in the heart of a fox- 

 hunting country, and his coverts do not afford foxes, the best 

 plan I know of is to keep drawing them till they do. Never 

 mind a few blank days ; draw, draw, draw, till foxes are found. 

 If this does not make him preserve foxes, nothing will, except all 

 his neighbours going in a body, and having a day's shooting in 

 his preserves. As long as it is the fashion to let keepers have 

 rabbits as perquisites, foxes will be destroyed. '' Two of a trade 

 can never agree," and upon the head of the devoted fox are 

 placed all the young pheasants which die of the pip, as well as the 

 old ones which find their way into Mr. Keeper's pocket, to 

 exhibit their beautiful plumage in the shop of some licensed 

 dealer in game. All these are put down to Mr. Keynard's 

 account, and the ignorant master, believing all, of course, his 

 keeper tells him, is thus simple enough to lay all the blame 

 upon an almost innocent victim. 



In every country there are many fox-killers, some known, 

 others only suspected, A determined master of hounds will, by 

 some plan or other, make them ashamed of it, if he sets to work 

 in real earnest, supposing, of course, that he is supported by the 

 gentlemen of the country generally. Every man has his weak 

 point somewhere ; a careful observer will soon find it out, and 

 there he mil work him until he is brought round. I never lis- 

 tened to old women's stories or excuses. Where I knew foxes 

 ought to be found, there I always said openly they were killed 

 by the keepers. A gentleman in our country was annoyed by a 

 remark once made to this purport, and said that he thought it 

 hard to be set down as a fox-killer, when he had given strict 

 orders to his keeper to preserve them. "That," I said, "is 

 nothing to the purpose ; your keeper disobeys your orders ; 

 therefore you should discharge him." " Prove it," he replied, 

 "and I will do so." "That," I said, "is not so easy an affair, 

 although I shall catch him out before long ; but I will settle it 

 another way, if you like. I will provide a keeper, who shall 

 give you nearly twice as much game as you have at jjresent, and 

 foxes as well." In one or two cases I did provide keepers, who 

 proved my assertion to be correct. 



The extraordinary dislike manifested by some game-pre- 

 servers against foxes proves one of two things — either excessive 

 ignorance, or the most narrow-minded selfishness. I am not a 

 master of fox-hounds noAV, neither are my coverts drawn by 

 hounds, yet I do not allow foxes to be killed by the keeper, well 



