AN ADVANTAGE OF MARRIAGE 13 

 work, too, is cumulative each item must be con- 

 sidered in its relation to several others. Even where 

 there are several keepers, each on his own beat of a 

 shoot, there is a jealous rivalry between them ; and 

 any one who went for a holiday would suspect advant- 

 age to be taken of his stock of breeding game in his 

 absence. If there is one thing a keeper can endure 

 less than being scored off by a poacher, it is to be scored 

 off by a brother keeper. 



For the first time in many a long year a game- 

 keeper may find himself taking a holiday in the early 



days of February either because he has 

 An Advant-left his place of his own free will, or has been 

 Marriage dismissed. " Left owing to shoot being 



given up " that is the usual reason for a 

 keeper's enforced holiday. Married keepers seldom 

 leave berths of their own accord except to better 

 themselves ; but a young bachelor keeper with a light 

 heart may be fond of change, and scores of places are 

 open to him from which married men are barred. 

 Often he can afford to take a holiday while he looks 

 about for a new berth ; he can find lodgings any- 

 where, and what with odd jobs and the money he has 

 saved he can exist comfortably until he finds an 

 employer to suit him. The married keeper is not so 

 light-hearted, and perhaps on this account the best 

 permanent berths go to the married men. The 

 chance of such a berth gives the country maiden. 



