THE EARTH-STOPPER 107 



of the country; the Huntsman presiding: they are attended 

 by all the Gamekeepers, Earth-stoppers, et hoc genus omne, of 

 the districts ; the annual expense of both seldom exceeding 

 ^30 ; and they tend to implant, and keep alive, sentiments 

 most desirable to cherish." 



Mr. Smith devotes a whole chapter to keepers, between 

 whom and the world at large he seems anxious to do justice. 



" There is an old saying," writes he, " ' give a dog a bad 

 name and hang him,' — which maxim is too often applied to 

 gamekeepers : for there are some who are really friends to 

 foxhunting, and who have more pride in showing foxes with 

 their pheasants, that is in the same covers, than any others 

 can have in showing pheasants without them : innumerable 

 instances can be proved that foxes and pheasants can be had 

 in abundance in the same covers, particularly where there are 

 rabbits : the writer has seen five foxes cross a ride in a cover, 

 and nearly as many hundred pheasants." 



In the following, Mr. Smith hits the right nail on the 

 head : — 



" The great objection which keepers have to foxes is, that 

 they destroy so great a number of rabbits, which are the 

 keeper's perquisites, and consequently they are disposed to 

 destroy foxes." 



No doubt about it, and therefore the remedy is not to let 

 the keeper have rabbits. Some people will say they won't 

 come without. Won't they, indeed ! We know a gentleman 

 who advertised for a keeper, and had thirty applications in 

 one week. Keepers are not like Huntsmen or Whips, men 

 that are difficult to meet with. As Mr. Grantley Berkeley, 

 the great game authority of the day, says, " Any man who 

 can shoot a hawk sitting will do for a keeper." 



" It is a difficult thing," adds Mr. Smith, " to know how 

 to act with them ; but it is much the wisest plan to treat them 



