196 THE GAMEKEEPER AT HOME. 



CHAPTER IX. 



ffinertlla 15Sarfar£— C5un accitientft— Black &\itty. 



Scarcely a keeper can be found who has not got one or 

 more tales to tell of encounters with poachers, sometimes 

 of a desperate character. There is a general similarity in 

 most of the accounts, which exhibit a mixture of ferocity 

 and cowardice on the side of the intruders. The following 

 case, which occurred some years since, brings these con- 

 tradictory features into relief The narrator was not the 

 owner of the man-trap described previously. 



There had been a great deal of poaching before the 

 affray took place, and finally it grew to horse-stealing : one 

 night two valuable horses were taken from the home park. 

 This naturally roused the indignation of the owner of the 

 estate, who resolved to put a stop to it. Orders were 

 given that if shots were heard in the woods the news 

 should be at once transmitted to head-quarters, no matter 

 at what hour of the night. 



One brilliant moonlight night, frosty and clear, the 

 gang came again. A messenger went to the house, and, 

 as previously arranged, two separate parties set out to in- 

 tercept the rascals. The head keeper had one detachment, 



