388 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



for pheasants, and, the next time they get 

 another bird, they begin to Hke the fun. Now 

 they train a dog to fetch the bird which they 

 shoot from their carts ; then they go further 

 and get a lurcher, to course hares ; and, after 

 a while, they don't mind joining a poaching 

 party at night — disguising themselves, they go 

 out for the spree and sport. 



I once knew a painter and glazier who, when 

 going off to work, always took a gun in his 

 cart, in hopes of getting a shot on the road. 

 I also knew a publican who always took a man 

 with him in his dog cart ; this man used to 

 hold the horse while the publican shot the 

 game and fetched it, and the two men used to 

 take the horse and trap round the roads and 

 lanes, for the express purpose of getting a shot 

 at some game. 



As I have before stated, it is not for me to 

 lay down hard and fast rules as to how keepers 

 are to feed their pheasants, since every keeper 

 has a right to feed in the way he thinks best, 

 but I contend that, the more you keep your 

 birds at home in your own woods, the less "^'1 



