312 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



" I don't know that, sir ; I only know the 

 gentleman's name." 



" And what name is it ? " 



" Mr. Fuller-Maitland, sir." 



" A good name, Wilkins, and, what is more, 

 it belongs to a good family, a very good 

 family." 



I think I have before mentioned that when 

 Mr. Fowle told me to bring the pheasants, 

 and his and my belongings, to him, he had 

 promised to find me employment until I got a 

 place. He said that he wanted me to come 

 and kill off his rabbits, as he wished to get up 

 a furze or gorse field as a cover for his foxes ; 

 he had sown a couple of fields, but the rabbits 

 had eaten it all up, so he meant to kill the 

 rabbits down until the gorse had time to get 

 up. I might either keep all the rabbits to pay 

 myself, or he would pay the wages he had 

 paid me before, allowing me sixpence a couple 

 for the runners, and a penny a head for those 

 that could not see, beyond my wage. These 

 latter are called * dead ' rabbits because they 

 cannot see, and have to be dug out of their 



