1 84 THE GAMEKEEPER AT HOME. 



their employment depends entirely upon the will of the 

 keeper, they are anxious to conciliate him. 



Despite therefore of missing cur dogs and straying cats 

 which never return, the keeper is treated with marked 

 deference by the cottagers. He is, nevertheless, fully 

 aware of the concealed ill-will towards him ; and perhaps 

 this knowledge has contributed to render him more morose, 

 and sharper of temper, and more suspicious of human 

 nature than he would otherwise have been ; for it never 

 improves a man's character to have to be constantly watch- 

 ing his fellows. 



The streams are no more sacred from marauders than 

 the woods and preserves. The brooks and upper waters 

 are not so full of fish as formerly, the canal into which 

 they fall being netted so much ; and another cause of the 

 diminution is the prevalence of fish-poaching, especially for 

 jack, during the spawning season and afterwards. Though 

 the keepers can check this within their own boundaries, it 

 is not of much use. 



Fish-poaching is simple and yet clever in its way. In 

 the spawning time jack fish, which at other periods are 

 apparently of a solitary disposition, go in pairs, and some- 

 times in trios, and are more tame than usual. A long 

 slender ash stick is selected, slender enough to lie light in 

 the hand and strong enough to bear a sudden weight. A 

 loop and running noose are formed of a piece of thin copper 

 wire, the other end of which is twisted round and firmly 



