44 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



always used to send him five shillings, at 

 Christmas, for his Christmas dinner, and my 

 old keeper's coat. Mr. Benjamin Fuller and his 

 keeper, George Rose, knew that I sent Jim a 

 Christmas box, every year, but neither of them 

 knew what it was for. It was a secret between 

 myself and Jim, and he never told anyone, for 

 he knew that I did not want to expose my 

 father's faults whilst he lived. And now ta 

 hark back to the snaring. 



My father told mother that he believed I had 

 some artful dodge with my snaring, as I used a 

 bit of wash leather to draw down the snares, in 

 order to rub out any kinks or nicks in them, so 

 that they should play quickly, and slip up like 

 clockwork as soon as a rabbit got his head in. 

 There was no scent on the wash leather, and I 

 only used it for the purpose I am about to 

 describe. Squire Drake's gamekeeper, Pratt, 

 taught me to make and set snares, and put me up 

 to the dodge about the wash leather. He, and 

 father, and I were together, one day, in Monk's 

 Wood, and Pratt set six snares, bidding me 

 watch him attentively, which I did. " Now 



