TRICKS OF ASSISTANTS. 35 



the left finger. He will knock over a running rabbit like 

 this ; and at short distances can shoot with tolerable 

 certainty from under the arm without coming to the 

 ' present,' or even holding the gun out like a pistol with 

 one hand. 



By slow degrees he has obtained an intimate acquaint- 

 ance with every field on the place, and no little knowledge 

 of natural history. He will decide at once, as if by a 

 kind of instinct, where any particular bird or animal will 

 be found at that hour. 



He is more bitter than his father against poachers, and 

 would like to see harder measures dealt out to them ; but 

 his chief use is in watching or checking the assistants, 

 who act as beaters, ferreters, or keep up the banks and 

 fences about the preserves, etc. Without a doubt these 

 men are very untrustworthy, and practise many tricks. 

 For instance, when they are set to ferret a bank, what is 

 to prevent them, if the coast is clear, from hiding half a 

 dozen dead rabbits in a burrow ? Digging has frequently 

 to be resorted to, and thus they can easily cast earth over 

 and conceal the entrance to a hole. Many a wounded 

 hare and pheasant that falls into the hands of the beaters 

 never makes its appearance at the table of the sportsman ; 

 and doubtless they help themselves to the game captured 

 in many a poacher's wire before giving notice of the dis- 

 covery to the head man. 



Some of these assistants wear waistcoats of calfskin 



