224 TEN YEARS OF GAME-KEEPING 
country beaters there is something wrong some- 
where, for such men as a class are too fond of sport 
to take so drastic a step without reasonable cause. 
To keepers I would say : ‘ Never ask beaters to do 
anything you would not do yourself ;’ and to shoot- 
ting-hosts: ‘Never incite your keeper to impose 
unreasonable tasks on beaters. Remember that 
beaters can grow tired; that rain, snow, cold, bad- 
going, and the loss or gain of sixpence, are of more 
consequence to beaters than to guns. Treat your 
beaters as human beings, and you will hear nothing 
of strikes. But suppose a strike is imminent ; what 
should be done? In the first place you must act 
quickly and decisively, remembering that for the 
time being those threatening to strike have the 
upper hand of you, and that you must choose 
between abandoning shooting for the remainder of 
the day and conceding their demands sufficiently to 
induce them to finish out the day. 
However, the majority of beaters’ strikes are 
confined to a section of the party. When you 
suspect this to be the case, the best plan is to make 
it known that those who wish to strike can strike. 
I consider that if you give actual strikers the pro- 
portion of the customary day’s pay up to the time 
of striking, it is as much as they are entitled to. I 
am not so sure that they are entitled to anything, 
unless their strike has been brought about by your 
demand that they should do something unreason- 
