298 A GAMEKEEPER'S NOTE-BOOK 



But all of a sudden there was a magic disappearance 

 of a large proportion of sportsmen, corresponding 

 with the appearance of an import ant -looking in- 

 dividual, who calmly went to the man next to us, 

 and relieved him of his piece and cartridges, which 

 he began to use in a liberal fashion. Gradually, the 

 original gunners reappeared mostly from fir-trees. 

 And it transpired that they were gunners without 

 licences who had taken courage when they saw the 

 local officer of the law stretching a point himself. 

 One, bolder than the others, made an appeal to the 

 law for a ruling on the licensing question and was 

 informed that notice must be given of the imminent 

 use of the gun, in order that the law's representative 

 might have time to look the other way. 



The gamekeeper, perhaps, believes less in ghosts 

 than other countrymen. He is not afraid to keep 

 vigil in the loneliest wood, though well 

 known to be haunted by a headless spectre. 



~^ e ca es a S un > an d his dg is a ^ heel, 

 Story so it may be that the ghosts are afraid of 



the keeper. We know a house where great 

 alarm was caused by the ghostly ringing of bells. 

 Watches were set, and one watcher after another 

 made report of a flitting figure, clad in white, that 

 roamed the corridors. At last the keeper was called 

 in to deal with the ghost. He took up his watch, 



