TIPS AND TIPPERS 269 



shooting, are the heaviest gilders of the keeper's 

 palm. They shoot to enjoy themselves, and to 

 make other people happy. Perhaps they do not 

 care to weight themselves with cumbersome silver 

 coins, and find it less trouble to carry gold pieces. 

 Then there are those dear old gentlemen of the 

 old school. They do not shoot every day of the 

 week, and, not being so active or so keen of vision 

 as they were, perhaps do not pile up the bag as 

 fast as others. Yet they give regularly a tip of 

 half a sovereign. Their fathers ever gave it, why 

 should not they ? And the keeper murmurs ap- 

 provingly, ' So be it.' The parson never forgets 

 the keeper, and his cheery words are as welcome 

 as his modest ' five bob.' The worst sportsman 

 from the tipping point of view is the ordinary 

 country resident who is fairly well lined with this 

 world's goods. He gets so much shooting being 

 on the spot and always available as a stop- gap 

 that he becomes surfeited. He shoots only when 

 he has nothing else to do. From him the keeper 

 is lucky to get an occasional half-crown. 



He is a fortunate keeper who 'picks up' a 

 sovereign at the close of an ordinary day's shooting. 

 Tip totals for the day vary, like offertories ; they 

 depend on who is there. So far as I can remember, 

 I can count on the fingers of one hand the occasions 

 on which I received a sovereign from one shooter, 

 for one day only. A keeper told me he made his 



