TIPS AND TIPPERS 271 



The greatest shock I ever had in the matter of a 

 tip came about in this way. My partridge-shooting 

 had been let, and my services were included in the 

 deal. There were, as a rule, only four guns, and 

 they had earned a reputation for not forgetting 

 those who ministered to their pleasure. However, 

 one morning there turned up a fifth, or, as I heard 

 the beaters describing him among themselves, an 

 * oddun.' He was a young man, probably not 

 more than twenty-five, of impecunious appearance 

 generally ; his gun was rusty, and looked as if it 

 had been bought at an ironmonger's sale, while his 

 shabby little cartridge-bag I do not suppose could 

 have been pawned for more than a penny. Such 

 was the impression given by himself and his be- 

 longings that I failed to find among the beaters a 

 volunteer to carry his bag and the score of cartridges 

 it contained. Finally, a neighbouring keeper who 

 was helping me took it as a personal favour to 

 myself. When the day was done, this keeper came 

 to me and said he thought the owner of the bag 

 had made a mistake, and produced half a sovereign, 

 meant, as he thought, for me. I told him he had 

 better hang on to it, whether the two shillings 

 slipped into my hand as I was wrestling with the 

 buckle of a gun-case were a mistake or not. 

 Fishing them from my pocket, I found they were 

 two sovereigns. 



By way of contrast, after a fine day's partridge- 



