12 THE GAMEKEEPER AT HOME. 



nature have made him every inch a man ; and here in this 

 nineteenth century of civilised effeminacy may be seen 

 some relic of what men were in the old feudal days when 

 they dwelt practically in the woods. The shoulder of his 

 coat is worn a little where the gun rubs, and so is his 

 sleeve ; otherwise he is fairly well dressed. 



Perfectly civil to every one, and with a willing 

 manner towards his master and his master's guests, he 

 has a wonderful knack of getting his own way. Whatever 

 the great house may propose in the shooting line, the 

 keeper is pretty certain to dispose of in the end as he 

 pleases ; for he has a voluble ' silver ' tongue, and is full 

 of objections, reasons, excuses, suggestions, all delivered 

 with a deprecatory air of superior knowledge which he 

 hardly likes to intrude upon his betters, much as he would 

 regret to see them go wrong. So he really takes the lead, 

 and in nine cases in ten the result proves he is right, as 

 minute local knowledge naturally must be when intelli- 

 gently applied. 



Not only in such matters as the best course for the 

 shooting-party to follow, or in advice bearing upon the 

 preserves, but in concerns of a wider scope, his influence 

 is felt. A keen, shrewd judge of horseflesh (how is it 

 that if a man understands one animal he seems to 

 instinctively see through all ?) his master in a careless 

 way often asks his opinion before concluding a bargain. 

 Of course the question is not put direct, but ' By-the-bye, 



