224 TEN YEARS OF GAME-KEEPING 



country beaters there is something wrong some- 

 where, for such men as a class are too fond of sport 

 to take so drastic a step without reasonable cause. 

 To keepers I would say : ' Never ask beaters to do 

 anything you would not do yourself;' and to shoot- 

 ting-hosts : ' Never incite your keeper to impose 

 unreasonable tasks on beaters.' Remember that 

 beaters can grow tired ; that rain, snow, cold, bad- 

 going, and the loss or gain of sixpence, are of more 

 consequence to beaters than to guns. Treat your 

 beaters as human beings, and you will hear nothing 

 of strikes. But suppose a strike is imminent ; what 

 should be done? In the first place you must act 

 quickly and decisively, remembering that for the 

 time being those threatening to strike have the 

 upper hand of you, and that you must choose 

 between abandoning shooting for the remainder of 

 the day and conceding their demands sufficiently to 

 induce them to finish out the day. 



However, the majority of beaters' strikes are 

 confined to a section of the party. When you 

 suspect this to be the case, the best plan is to make 

 it known that those who wish to strike can strike. 

 I consider that if you give actual strikers the pro- 

 portion of the customary day's pay up to the time 

 of striking, it is as much as they are entitled to. I 

 am not so sure that they are entitled to anything, 

 unless their strike has been brought about by your 

 demand that they should do something unreason- 



