288 TEN YEARS OF GAME-KEEPING 



Ferrets are not at all profitable creatures to breed 

 for sale ; and it is cheaper to buy grown-up young 

 ferrets in September for half a crown each than to 

 breed and rear them. If you want ferrets to be 

 pleasant to use, the great thing is to handle them 

 frequently and quietly never grab at them. I 

 judged their handling education complete when my 

 ferrets showed no objection to being picked up by 

 the skin of their stomach. The most docile of 

 ferrets are liable to nip you by mistake, but never 

 hang on. The best and quickest way to make a 

 vicious-biting ferret leave go its hold is to roll its 

 toes as one would a cigarette, only harder. Another 

 plan which answers well enough in the case of a 

 dead rabbit is to blow on the ferret's nose. The 

 risk of distemper breaking out among dogs is con- 

 siderably lessened by keeping ferrets right away 

 from them. 



From ferret-hutches to the Law Courts is a long 

 way. I had been engaged to give expert evidence 

 in an action for misrepresentation by the tenant of a 

 large shoot. The plaintiff's solicitor, a complete 

 stranger to me, while giving me a brief outline of 

 the case, mentioned that he had a cutting of an 

 article on the clues that help a gamekeeper, which, 

 he thought, might help us. Being the writer of it, I 

 thought so, too. I was introduced to another keeper 

 engaged for the case ; he was the most benevolent- 

 looking keeper I have met. He had a way of 



