342 BROADLAND SPORT 



half-an-hour of his so doing every one of his pro tern. 

 watchers were out, the word having been passed over the 

 whole estate. It was lucky the preparation had been so com- 

 plete, for the number of the would-be eggers was considerable, 

 and in every covert they entered they found a son of the 

 plough with a musket on bis shoulder ready to accompany 

 them whithersoever they listed. In disgust they adjourned to 

 a distant alehouse, where the following sentiment was given 

 vent to : " 'Tain't no blimey use a coming to this 'ere - 



- place, every - - covert has a great hairy with a 



great gun on his shoulder - - J im and that there - 

 Balls too." 



Another gentleman of the same class, not to be led into 

 committing himself, was however compelled to dive pretty 

 deeply into his pocket. This youth was fond of trespassing, 

 until he one day climbed over a rail fencing (doctored by Mr 

 Balls), and the amount of the trespass, damages and costs 

 created an impression upon his memory which caused him in 

 future to favour other " fields and pastures new." 



Following the same principle, he successfully caught an 

 egger near a low-lying alder carr on the marshes. He was 

 seen hanging about in the neighbourhood and preparations 

 for his welfare were accordingly made. A plank was doctored 

 by sawing it half through and filling up the incision. It was 

 then laid in place of the sound one, which it resembled, and a 

 short time afterwards it deposited its victim into three feet of 

 water and four of soft black highly-scented sediment. 



Stretched wire he advocated as a splendid and favourite 

 adoption as a preventive against the intrusion of both man 

 and dog. It should be just high enough to allow a hare or 

 rabbit to pass under, but low enough to catch a dog. But 

 what a poacher most dreads are pitfalls. These are more often 

 associated with the wooden dummy pheasants, and act when 

 the poacher, having his eye on the dummies, is walking round 

 preparatory to his attempts to secure them. All keepers who 

 have large woods under their surveillance should also bear in 

 mind that poachers often slip into them before it is daylight, 



