12 TEN YEARS OF GAME-KEEPING 
harvest, with ‘a few odd uns throw’d in, like.’ 
Whenever there arrived an addition to the farmer's 
family, the carter, who declared the event marked 
the time for sowing ‘ wutts’ (oats), was invited to a 
private view, and, of course, to offer a libation. The 
ceremony over, he would retire more or less in the 
direction of his cottage, repeating: ‘’Tis a right 
down fine youngster, an’ no mistake! Don’t know 
as ever I see’d a finer. . . .. On the ninth occasion 
of this sort he felt that his customary eulogy was 
not justified, and turned to the fond mother and 
said: ‘I’m blow’d if I don’t pretty near think this 
un’s the darl*!’ 
My instructions were that the Ground Game Act 
was to be a dead-letter so far as hares were con- 
cerned, and that, in return, the shooting tenant 
undertook to get down the rabbits, and to keep 
them down. There was one small covert of six 
acres, in which there were only a few rabbits; but 
on the other side of the farm were three dells, hold- 
ing strong colonies. Luckily, since it was well on 
in the spring, these dells were fairly free from 
herbage and undergrowth, so I was able to deal 
with the rabbits with ferrets and gun; and by 
spending the best part of a day at each dell, I made 
a highly appreciated reduction in the number of the 
rabbits. On one occasion I had been digging for a 
ferret, but found when I got to where it should have 
* The last. 
