136 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



enter a wood, even if that wood be half a mile 

 off. But I digress. 



The snares, as I have before remarked, had 

 been * run down.' Instead of being set, they 

 had been taken out of the split stick, and run 

 out of the loop, the whole wire being then 

 hidden in the long grass. A wire can be easily 

 concealed, but, if a snare is pulled up, there is 

 bound to be a mess, which soon attracts the eye. 

 Pounds was to meet me next morning at 

 Oaken Copse, and not before, so I lighted my 

 pipe and sauntered out into the open, where 

 I could be easily seen by anyone on the watch. 

 After hanging about for half an hour or so, I 

 deliberately turned my back on the copse, and 

 went off in the opposite direction. I had made 

 up my mind to follow my old methods, and, if 

 possible, to catch the poacher red handed ; so 

 I thought I would give him every opportunity 

 of resetting the snares, and this is why I pre- 

 tended to go away. In case anyone was 

 watching me, he would conclude that the snares 

 had not been discovered, as they were not 

 taken up, and my reasoning proved correct, 



