Part 20
One time that often came to his mind was when Master Charles plagued the life out of him to be taken, at night, through a bedroom window, by way of a ladder, on a hunt for poachers; and how at last he yielded to entreaty, though it was as much as his place was worth if Master Charles's guardian got wind of the affair. So he chose a bright moon-lit night, when he was tolerably certain that no poachers would venture forth; whistled beneath Master Charles's window, upraised a ladder, and got the young gentleman safely to ground, in nothing more than nightshirt, greatcoat, and bedroom slippers. Off they went together, and it was the keeper's heart that beat fastest. Arrived in the Long Walk, what should they see but two poachers with bows and arrows, shooting the pheasants in their sleep. The keeper's first idea was to send the young master back to bed; but he was not to be denied this grand adventure: and with a yell and a bound he was among the poachers before the keeper could say Jack Robinson. It was a desperate affair, not only for the poachers, but more particularly for the gamekeeper; but he still lives to tell the tale, with ever more wonderful variations.
* * * * *
The Converted Shepherd
A favourite story of another old friend tells how he found the cure for a notorious poacher. It was in the days before the Ground Game Act, and a farmer had complained, as well he might, of rabbits that had cleared every blade of a field of oats, and were beginning to attack some wheat in the next field. The keeper set many traps and wires. His cottage was a long way from the wheat-field: but the cottage of the poacher, a shepherd, was near at hand. Knowing that the shepherd would in any case keep an eye on the captured rabbits, the keeper went to him, and frankly invited him to remove all those caught overnight, and keep them safe until he should come himself in the morning. The keeper, of course, could tell where a rabbit had been caught; and no doubt the shepherd knew this, for he delivered up each night's catch to a rabbit. And he confessed, at the end of a week's campaign, that the confidence placed in him so unexpectedly had broken his heart of its love of poaching for ever.
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A Final Story
All keepers are shamed when sportsmen go home from their preserves with empty bags. To have in a party a shooter "who never shot noth'n' all day long" reacts on the keeper's fame. We noticed that a crafty keeper friend would always scheme to place an old colonel well forward of the line of guns; and as the colonel was never seen to add to the bag, we asked for an explanation. "Well, ye see, it be like this 'ere," came the answer. "I knows as 'e can't shoot, and 'e knows it; but I knows and 'e knows that if 'e be put forward 'e be likely to get a shot at a rabbit what's stopped to think. And 'e knows that I knows that 'e will pay somethink 'andsome when 'e can go 'ome an' tell 'is missus as 'ow 'e ain't bin an' disgraced 'isself agin. So I puts 'im forward; and every time 'e shoots a rabbit what's stopped to think, it reminds 'e of I."
* * * * *
Careful Wives
With many gamekeepers we have known many gamekeepers' wives. Strong-minded, capable women as they are, most keepers are wise enough to regard them as Ministers of Finance, religiously handing over all their gain in coins. A shilling a week, perhaps, is handed back again by way of pocket-money, besides an allowance of 'baccy, out of housekeeping funds. We have known more than one keeper who never would have had a shilling had it not been for his wife; and we have known more than one keeper's wife who would never fail to keep her hand on every shilling that her good-man brought home.
* * * * *
"What Her was Like"
One old friend, old Henry, made up his mind to revolt against his wife's cupidity. Coming home one winter night after a shoot, at which he had been so lucky as to pocket a couple of pounds, the temptation to conceal them from his good dame was irresistible. He buried the coins beside an old ash-stump in one of his woods--well beyond scenting distance from his cottage. He knew from many a past experience that if he left a farthing in his pockets overnight it would be gone before morning. That night no sleep came to him. His conscience was troubled. He turned and tossed; as his good-wife put it, "He carried on like, so as he couldn't sleep hisself, nor wouldn't let I." At last the good woman, who had drawn his pockets in vain, put a straight question: "'Enry," said she, "what _be_ up with 'ee?" Then 'Enry confessed: he told how he had buried two pounds beside the ash-stump. And then the two of them rose, in the middle of that winter night, and walked out into the wood until they stumbled on the ash-stump, and they dug until they found the money. As poor Henry used to say, in days when no good-wife remained to take his gains, "That'll tell ye a little what her was like."
INDEX
Acorns, 234, 235 August, 159
Badger, 121, 122, 254, 255 Barren birds, 162 Beaters, 41, 233, 275; compensation for wounded, 244 Birds, at mating-time, 60 Blackbirds, 123 Broody hens, 73 Bullfinches, 122, 123
Cats, 29, 30, 96, 123, 133, 263, 264 Cattle, in woods, 112, 113 Chalk-pits, 255, 256 Christmas shooting, 294, 295 Clues, 161 Cornfields, inhabitants of, 163; sport in, 167 Covert-shooting, 262, 263, 271 Crows, 49 Cubbing, 181, 182 Cubs, 8, 9, 59, 149, 150, 151, 178, 190, 191, 286 Cub-snatching, 89, 90
Dog-dealing, 199 Dogs, for ratting, 98; poachers', 16, 17 Dog-washing, 153 Dormice, 208, 230 Doves, 156, 157 Duck, 159
Fear and flight, 46, 47 Feathers, 130 Ferrets, 95 Fieldfares, 37 Foxes, 8, 9, 60, 149, 245, 248; and pheasants, 124, 246; and ferrets, 256; and rabbits, 45; and snares, 245, 247; how to keep from nests, 153; in corn, 167; on shooting days, 268, 269; trapping, 23, 24; turned down, 119 Foxgloves, for dog-washing, 155 Fur, changes of colour, 25, 26
Game, and motors, 125; and wire, 135, 136; and water, 142 Gamekeeper, 6, 11, 17, 26, 30, 41, 81, 82, 103, 131, 132, 141, 144, 208, 227, 228, 287, 289, 290-292, 297-304; and marriage, 13, 14; and new berth, 14; appearance of, 210; as advertiser, 14; as chorister, 103; as cook, 6, 116, 117; as dog-dealer, 199; as gardener, 6, 9-11; cottage and pets of, 3, 4; dress of, 104, 300; dinner of, 7; ethics of, 5; larder of, 5-7; holidays of, 12, 13, 209-211; in North and South, 15; position, wages, privileges, and perquisites of, 1-3 Gipsies, 215
Hares, 58, 59, 208; and small holdings, 265; curious accidents to, 202, 203, 225 Harvest mice, 167, 208, 209 Hawks, 18, 61, 62, 105 Hedgehogs, 166, 173, 206, 231 High birds, 189 Homely medicines, 7, 8 Honeysuckle, cause of accidents, 204, 205 Hounds, 145, 259, 260; "finding," 190, 191 Hunting, 249 Hurdle-making, 77, 78
Jackdaws, 111 Jays, 160
Landrail, 157, 191, 192 Leverets, 65 Long-netting, 219, 220
Magpies, 31, 49 "Marking," 193, 194, 195 Moles, 261 "Mothering," 117 Moucher, 257 Muzzle-loaders, 272
Nesting-sites, 73, 80, 81 Nightjar, 125, 126 Nutters and gamekeeper, 207, 208
Owls, 105, 205
Partridge, flying with broken wing, 201 Partridge-driving, 279, 280, 292 Partridges, 60, 61, 92, 93, 114, 133, 134, 140; and dry summer, 133; and foxes, 114; and grassland, 93; and June, 137, 141; and peasants, 93; and peewits, 92, 93; and policemen, 214; and rain, 139; cocks and hens, 129; French, 75-77; hatching of their eggs, 139; perseverance of, 115, 116; young and old, 129 Pheasant and young, 117, 118 Pheasants, 10, 40, 41, 43, 53, 54, 55, 56, 68, 71, 73, 119, 124, 138, 155, 156, 185, 187, 269, 293, 296; food-bill, 225; rearing by hand, 85-89 Pied birds, 199 Pigs, 198 Poachers, 15, 57, 180; dogs of, 16, 17; traps to catch, 111, 112; weapons of, 260 Policemen, sporting, 214, 298 Prospects, 161-163 Puppies, 146, 147, 197, 252
Rabbits, 124, 257; and snares, 33, 34; as perquisites, 5; in autumn, 211-213; pressed for food, 44, 45; when fattest, 236 Rats, 22, 94, 99, 131, 222 Rat-catching, 90, 91 Ratting, 98, 100, 102; without ferrets, 100 Red-legs, 141 Retrievers, 148, 206, 207, 270, 271 Ride-trimming, 172 Rooks, 47, 66
Scent, 238; and retrievers, 148 Shepherd, the, 276-279, 302 "Shocks," shooting among, 192, 193 Sight, of birds and beasts, 37, 38 Sleep, of birds and beasts, 34 Snares, 33, 34 Snow, 281 Sparrow-hawks, 10, 62 Sporting terms and others, 63-65 Squirrels, 27, 29 Starlings, roosting, 204 Stoats, 172, 236, 240; and weasels, the difference, 254; yellow and white of, 25 Stock-doves, 62 Swedes, warts on, 163
Tipping, 2, 243, 304 Trapping, 22, 23, 24, 26, 176, 178 Traps, 24, 25, 26, 32, 33 Truffles, 206
Underwood, 226, 227, 241, 242
"Velveteens," 104 Vermin, lists of, 18, 19, 20, 26
Walking-up partridges, 180 Warts, from shooting, 297 Wasps, 264, 265 Water, and game, 142-145; for birds and beasts, 133 Weasels, 25, 173, 254 Weather-wisdom, 282, 283 Wines, home-made, 183, 184 Wire, and game, 135, 136, 253 Woodcock, 195, 196, 197, 295; and woodcock owls, 195, 196 Woodman, 79, 80 Wood-pigeons, 4, 5, 63, 157, 293
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Transcriber Note
Minor typos corrected. Missing Section breaks added. Original book set the Section Headers as Sidenotes, they have been converted to Section Headers.