POACHING AGAIN. 357 



know they will pass by, with your stick raised 

 like a man with his bat at the wickets waiting 

 for the ball, and then as he passes knock him 

 down before he sees you or you have spoken 

 to him. 



" Why," you say. " Keepers don't do that, 

 Wilkins." Granted, keepers do not, but some 

 men calling themselves keepers have done it 

 to my own knowledge, and done worse than 

 that. I have been in Court before now, and 

 heard them give evidence ; instead of saying 

 that they had lain in wait behind a tree, as I 

 have stated above, the keeper would say that 

 when they met the poacher he held up the 

 butt of his gun to strike the witness. Seeing 

 that violence was intended, the latter then 

 raised his staff, warded off the blow aimed at 

 him, and felled the poacher to the ground. 

 All this was a tissue of lies. 



Now, keeper, would you care to be treated 

 like that ? No, you would not, it would in- 

 flame your blood against that man, if you. 

 stood and heard him swear to a similar lie 

 against you. Remember, therefore, that a 



