THE WAY OF THE WARDEN 
With Some Observations on the Quasi-Sportsmanship Which 
Aggravates Its Hardships 
BY EDWARD CAVE 
HE purpose of this arti- 
cle shall be to vindicate 
the game warden. And 
lest I be accused of 
drawing extravagant in- 
ferences, I want it dis- 
tinctly understood at 
_| the outset that I defend 
the game warden for 
the cause for which he 
labors, not because ke 
is the “under dog.” 
Furthermore, and that 
the casual reader may be not tempted to 
turn over the page and pass the article by 
as being dull, I promise before I am 
through to let the warden speak for him- 
self. I will even step down in favor of 
him at once. Read this from a gentleman 
of West Virginia: 

I have observed from time to time in 
quite severe, and, as far as I am concerned, 
unjust criticism of our State Game Warden. 
I presume the charges have foundation, as 
no one would venture or care to say that ‘The 
State Game Warden of West Virginia would 
permit the killing out of season under his very 
nose the last quail in the State” unless he had 
und for saying so. 
But, Mr. Editor, it is so easy to see the wrong, 
but so difficult to find one who knows the 
remedy. . 
The game laws of West Virginia are ample, 
but what game warden, unaided by the people, 
can execute any law? As long as the public 
“‘has not time,” or does not wish to engender 
ill-will by giving information, the game warden 
is powerless to prevent violation of the game 
laws. 
Mr. ————_—_—_,. in March ; 
claims to be a resident of West Virginia, and 
makes a noble appeal to his fellow sportsmen 
of West Virginia ‘‘to help run down the game 
rogues. . , and do all in your power 
to save the quail.” But what does he do 
himself? ‘‘I am a resident of West Virginia,”’ 
he writes, “‘but as my business requires my 
presence in other localities at divers times, 
it isa very difficult matter for me, alone, to give 
the attention it deserves.”” Why not give what 
attention he can? He reminds me of the story 
of the, captain who was ordered to a certain 
point of an army’s line, where an attack from 
the enemy was expected, to hold that point 
as long as he could with safety in order to 
conceal a flanking movement, and who sta- 
tioned his men as ordered and addressed them 
thus: ‘‘Boys, the colonel says we must hold 
this place. Shoot till the last shot is gone and 
then run like h—]. I am lame; I will start 
now.” 
If Bob White is to stay with us, we must not 
have any lame captains. Each one must do 
something, however little. 
As to what has been done in this county: 
I was induced by the members of our gun 
club to accept the appointment of: deputy 
game. warden. I was promptly appointed 
by the Governor through the State Game 
Warden; and asking for them, obtained ap- 
pointments for five other deputies in the 
county. Of the five, only two could be in- 
duced to serve, although they at first con- 
sented and were urged to by their neighbors. 
During the season past, we have made 
eight arrests and convicted and fined them 
all. Not in a single instance, however, was 
any evidence given by the citizens. Each 
was a case of flagrante delicto, and the burden 
of proof was on the warden. 
The objection to serving as warden or giving 
information as a witness, I found to be fear 
of damage to business or property and danger 
to life, or, inother words, a case of the lame 
‘captain. 
In each case, I have turned over to the 
sheriff and his deputies the fines, and offered 
any citizen who would testify against an 
offender the same, but without a single result 
so far. 
But the number of arrests does not rep- 
resent the good we have done. We have made 
an impression, and it is realized throughout 
the county that arrests will be made, and that 
one bobwhite is not worth $35 and costs. 
