4l6 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



not permit any man to light a pipe until the 

 work was done and we started for home. 



When gate netting watching I used to leave 



rather early, and before going away 1 always 



knocked the ashes out of my pipe on to the 



top of the gate, leaving the tobacco there 



smouldering. If any poachers came they 



would smell the tobacco, and suspect that I 



was still in the neighbourhood, watching. 



Often, too, in the woods, I have left two or 



three sticks, with coats hung over them, 



stuck up at the cross rides. Sometimes I 



have left my lanthorn burning all night with 



the bulls eye turned on, in the watch hut, 



with three or four great coats and horse rugs 



lying about. All these dodges are very 



necessary, the poacher, when he comes after 



your game, is very suspicious, and does not 



want to be caught, so that if he sees a light 



you may be sure that he will give it a wide 



berth raiher than go and see if you are there, 



I have known poachers come on a Christmas 



Eve and walk through the rides of a wood, 



firing several times, and knocking down five or 



