THE POACHER'S COAT-POCKET. 155 



hares a night (wholesale price 2s. 6d. each) he is well 

 repaid. Rabbits are also wired in great numbers. The 

 loop is a trifle smaller, and should be just a span from the 

 ground. 



But the ferret is the poacher's chief assistant in rabbit- 

 ing : it takes two men, one on each side of the ' bury,' 

 and a ferret which will not ' lie in ' — i.e. stay in the hole 

 and feast till overcome with sleep. Ferrets differ remark- 

 ably in disposition, and the poacher chooses his with care ; 

 otherwise, if the ferret will not come out, the keepers are 

 certain to find him the next day hunting on his own 

 account. Part of the secret is to feed him properly, so 

 that he may have sufficient appetite to hunt well and yet 

 be quickly satisfied with a taste of blood. Skill is essential 

 in setting up the nets at the mouth of the holes ; but 

 beyond the mere knack, easily acquired, there is little to 

 learn in ferreting. 



The greatest difficulty with any kind of game is to 

 get home unobserved with the bag. Keepers are quite 

 aware of this ; and in the case of large estates, leaving 

 one or two assistants near the preserves, they patrol the 

 byways and footpaths, while the police watch the cross- 

 roads and lanes which lead to the villages. If a man 

 comes along at an exceptionally early hour with coat 

 pockets violently bulging, there is a prima facie case for 

 searching him. One advantage of wiring or netting over 

 the gun is here very noticeable : anything shot bleeds and 



