402 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



some keepers who are apt to put the worst 

 construction on things, I trust that they will 

 not judge me harshly. The calling of a 

 keeper is too onerous and honourable to be 

 handled lightly by any man who fancies him- 

 self in that line, the strict path of duty in all 

 services is to keep your honour intact, and in 

 no other service are the temptations so 

 numerous as in keepering. Little by little 

 they can fall away, tempted here and there by 

 surrounding circumstances, should they yield 

 one jot to these temptations they are lost ; 

 they continually apply some salve to their 

 consciences, in order to stifle self reproach, 

 until the fall, slow at first, becomes terrribly 

 swift and sudden. 



Look at the instances I have given of Jones 

 and others, therefore I cannot too firmly 

 impress all men of my own craft, and upon 

 all who are about to follow it, that you are 

 placed in a high position of trust, take heed 

 that you do not betray that trust. 



