THE KEEPER'S GUX. 363 



KNOWLEDGE OF LAW NECESSARY. 



It constantly happens that the keeper is obliged to con- 

 sider whether lie shall be within the law in any action which 

 he is about to commit. Poachers are constantly trying new 

 dodges, and to meet these, new plans of operation are neces- 

 sary, which may or may not be legal ; and either the keeper 

 or his master, or his master's lawyer, must settle this knotty 

 point. Generally speaking, there is little time for consulta- 

 tion, and the keeper must make up his mind on the spot. 

 Hence it is a great point in his favour if he is able to under- 

 stand an Act of Parliament, and unless he does, he will be 

 constantly obliged to consult his superiors. 



NUMBERS REQUIRED. 



When an efficient head-keeper has been appointed, it is 

 desirable to know how many men he will require to assist 

 him. At certain seasons of the year a few extra watchers 

 will always be required ; but what I am now alluding to is 

 the number of regular under-keepers required. Much will, 

 of course, depend upon the nature of his duties, for it is well 

 known that in some districts game requires far more careful 

 supervision than in others. The neighbourhood of large 

 towns, and especially if footpaths pass through the manor, is 

 exceedingly prejudicial to secure and easy preserving; and if 

 a keeper has one so situated to look after he will require 

 double or treble the average staff. For these reasons it is 

 impossible to define the number of assistants required, and 

 every master must in some measure be in the hands of his 

 servant. 



THE KEEPER'S GUN. 



It is a much-disputed question whether the keeper should 

 be allowed a gun at all, and there is also another, bearing 

 upon the propriety of his being allowed to carry it at night. 

 With I'egard to the diurnal use of a gun, I cannot but think 

 that the keeper should never be without it. Those who 

 have been much in the country must have observed that 

 every now and then a chance of being near some coveted 



