270 TEN YEARS OF GAME-KEEPING 



record bag of tips (thirty pounds) after a shoot 

 at which royalty was present. Another said he 

 took from four to six pounds every week, from 

 September to February, for several seasons, which 

 was very nice indeed while it lasted. At his other 

 places his tips did not keep him in beer and baccy. 

 I should say that ten pounds is about the sum 

 received in tips by an ordinary gamekeeper in a 

 season. A good many long for so much vainly. 

 Once I enjoyed the distinction of driving partridges 

 over the head of a reputed millionaire ; and he 

 could hit 'em, too. He tipped me a couple of half- 

 sovereigns, and complimented me on my show of 

 birds. 



The first tip that came my way was remarkable 

 for its size, being a five-shilling piece, as I have said 

 in a preceding chapter. I have a special recollection 

 of the first occasion on which I took gold. I had 

 been helping a neighbouring keeper. One of the 

 guns told me he would be shooting with us on the 

 following day, and wanted to know how best he 

 might be saved bother about his gun and cartridges. 

 I volunteered to take them home with me and bring 

 them along to the meeting-place the next morning. 

 Well, we had a good day, at the end of which, to 

 my intense surprise, he slipped half a sovereign into 

 my hand ; and so soon as I got the chance I tied it 

 into a corner of my handkerchief, and spent it on 

 boots. 



