48 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



keepers; " I can beat you any day in the 

 week, I know." Then he would set his traps, 

 whilst I looked on and lent him a hand. 

 *' There, Jack," he says, after setting one very 

 carefully, "you can't beat that, I know." 

 And I instantly reply, "I'll bet you what you 

 like that won't catch, if it stays there for a 

 month." Nor did it ; I took good care of 

 that, for I had the chance of going to these 

 traps as often as I liked, and so would 

 "doctor" them, and cheat both father and old 

 Dick. I used to play the same games with the 

 snares, when at "war," as I called it, with my 

 father. I would "doctor" certain traps, or 

 snares, and bet that they would not catch, and 

 they didn't ; I would leave others alone, and 

 bet that they would catch, and they did. It 

 was wrong of me, I know, but I was very 

 young at the time. 



Father died without having ever found out 

 the secret about the snares catching or not 

 catching. He said it was just according to 

 what temper I was in ; but here he made a 

 mistake, for it was ju^ according to what 



