Page:The Hare.djvu/95

Rh in the course of less than half an hour, and he regards speed in operating as one of the most important considerations. If the animal once drops into the bag net, its own weight draws the strings and closes the snare. Its screams at once attract the presence of the poacher, who hastens to slay and pouch his victim. Another engine in common use is the gate net. The poacher stretches this net across a gateway, securing it in position by placing a few stones or bricks upon the gateposts. About a foot of netting is generally allowed to trail upon the ground, so that when the driven hare strikes the net, she may speedily roll herself up in the treacherous meshes.

Of course any well-informed keeper has learnt by actual observation all that I have been told by the poachers; but I give all the details I can for the obvious reason that the more intimately sportsmen understand the ill doings of those who prey upon their game, the more easily will they be able to grapple with the evil. Some people maintain that it is a mistake to publish particulars of poaching, because they argue that it may corrupt the minds of certain readers. I am afraid that if a man wishes to poach, he will find ways and means of learning the secrets of the craft without referring to books. On the other hand, the diffusion of information as to the