210 TEN YEARS OF GAME-KEEPING 
of beer or a rabbit. The printable portion of this 
keeper’s remarks, when he saw me, was to the effect 
that he knew very well he was two hundred birds 
‘shart,’ and now he knew the reason why. When 
I told him he must choose between my version of 
the affair—with a season’s total of seven—or experi- 
ence next season the reality of being ‘two hundred 
shart, he reflected wisely ; I ‘liquidated’ him, and 
we parted good friends. In spite of endless worry- 
ing about pheasants, you seldom hear a keeper 
mourning for boundary partridges. 
The majority of keepers are ever ready for a 
glass of beer, but the less they drink within the 
precincts of a public-house, the better for their 
keeperships. In a casual way a keeper may often 
pick up useful information by calling at a public- 
house ; and all is well if this be his object in calling 
rather than beer, the curse of many an otherwise 
excellent keeper. I remember one keeper who 
simply could not pass a public-house ; and the pro- 
prietor knew that so long as beer was in his cup he 
would stay. So whenever mine host fancied rabbit- 
pie, he arranged that this keeper’s cup should be 
replenished from time to time, till he or his sons 
returned from ferreting. I recall a good old story 
alleged to have concerned two Scotch keepers who 
were accustomed at regular intervals to meet at a 
half-way house of refreshment. They would give 
it out that they held these meetings purely for 
