TIPS AND TIPPERS 271 
The greatest shock I ever had in the matter of a 
tip came about in this way. My partridge-shooting 
had been let, and my services were included in the 
deal. There were, as a rule, only four guns, and 
they had earned a reputation for not forgetting 
those who ministered to their pleasure. However, 
one morning there turned up a fifth, or, as I heard 
the beaters describing him among themselves, an 
‘oddun.. He was a young man, probably not 
more than twenty-five, of impecunious appearance 
generally ; his gun was rusty, and looked as if it 
had been bought at an ironmonger’s sale, while his 
shabby little cartridge-bag I do not suppose could 
have been pawned for more than a penny. Such 
was the impression given by himself and his be- 
longings that I failed to find among the beaters a 
volunteer to carry his bag and the score of cartridges 
it contained. Finally, a neighbouring keeper who 
was helping me took it as a personal favour to 
myself. When the day was done, this keeper came 
to me and said he thought the owner of the bag 
had made a mistake, and produced half a sovereign, 
meant, as he thought, for me. I told him he had 
better hang on to it, whether the two shillings 
slipped into my hand as I was wrestling with the 
buckle of a gun-case were a mistake or not. 
Fishing them from my pocket, I found they were 
two sovereigns. 
By way of contrast, after a fine day’s partridge- 
