MY BROTHER KEEPERS 203 



of another ride to give unrestrained expression to 

 my mirth. 



A man cannot be a successful keeper unless he 

 is a skilled diplomatist. I do not, however, wish 

 to imply for one moment that the diplomatic keeper 

 corresponds with the cunning, mistrustful, and un- 

 trustworthy sort the man you never feel sure of. 

 The majority of sportsmen know just the type of 

 man I mean ; his brother keepers know him as 

 well, and detest him accordingly. But genuine 

 diplomacy is a priceless gift. If the truth is told, 

 one of its chief opportunities arises when dealing 

 with employers. This, I admit, should not be so ; 

 but it is mainly the employers' fault. I remember 

 a keeper who was employed for many years by a 

 man much given to showing his displeasure by 

 losing his temper, when he would shout for the 

 keeper in extremely forcible phrases. I asked the 

 keeper one day how he managed to cope with 

 these outbursts, which averaged about three a day 

 He summed up his method by saying that he ' took 

 ne'er a mossel o' notice on 'em, bless ye !' if he 

 could avoid it. Whether he was some distance 

 away, or quite near, so long as he was out of 

 sight, he would, if pressed, make excuse that he 

 did not hear. This excuse seemed to me, in view 

 of the samples of his employer's yells, slightly sar- 

 castic. But if there was no help for it, and he had 

 to face the music, the keeper said he had long since 



