44 REVELATIONS OF A RAT-CATCHER. 



advice still remains true, " Honesty is the best 

 policy." Leaving the rabbits to themselves 

 has always turned out to be the best, for to 

 take a rabbit worth a shilling, and get caught 

 in the act, means that you can never go on 

 the same estate again. And from that same 

 estate you might have got 500 Eats in a year, 

 worth four shillings a dozen. 



I must also put in a good word here for the 

 gamekeepers. My opinion is that if you go- 

 on a keeper's ground and do what is right, you 

 will be able to go again, for in the whole of my 

 experience never. having carried any nets but 

 Eat nets when on private estates, I have the 

 consolation of knowing that I should always 

 be welcome on going again to such estates. 



Of course there are inconveniences that the 

 Eat-catcher has to put up with. Whatever 

 engagements he takes in a town, the only time 

 he can catch Eats with a good result is in the 

 night. On one occasion, when going round 

 with my bull's-eye lamp to examine the traps, 

 I was taken for a burglar by the policeman on 

 the beat, and he doubted me so much that he 

 would not release me until I had shown him 

 my cage with Eats in and my traps set all 

 over the place. Then he took almost as much 

 interest in the catching of Eats as myself, and 

 also brought in the other policemen who were 



