'.■?t' 



42 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



they would not go to the snares in the morning, 

 for the wind was in the right quarter to blow 

 the scent towards the gorse on Bishop's Hill. 



We went home and fetched the dogs and 

 gun, and he tried the experiment, but no rabbits 

 crossed the stubble. I had thirteen shots, and 

 killed twelve rabbits, and my father had twelve 

 shots, and killed one only ; but he thought 

 more of his one out of twelve than I did of my 

 twelve out of thirteen. We then went home to 

 dinner, and I overheard father say to my 

 mother: — " Jack can catch rabbits, or not, in 

 his snares, just as he likes ; I put him out, 

 yesterday, before he went to set those snares, 

 and not one rabbit was caught ; yet the snares 

 were set well I know, for I came upon him just 

 as he was setting the last half dozen." Aha 

 father, the secret was not in setting the snares, 

 for I could not do otherwise than set them 

 properly, when he was looking on. Well, this 

 little game made father very pleasant with me 

 for a while, until he began to forget it, and then 

 I had to wage war again, 'till he found out 

 that it was his best plan to speak a little more 



