A gamekeeper is dealt with by his adversaries to his misfortune. Initially he was searching for some unwelcome poachers on his employers land. Now, when it comes to poachers, the act is similiar to smuggling. The word poaching originates to putting something in a pouch. Poaching had been an offence since 1723 and was written down in law to protect the wealth of the landowners. With a history of many poachers lurking around this time in society, there is no surprise that the gamekeeper had an incline to go and investigate in order to protect the land. Instead he found himself caught up in a struggle with potential trespassers, which left him in a difficult spot for some time. His rescuers seemed to think a rabbit was capable of causing his capture, moreover that said rabbit would attack them without further back-up!
“A gamekeeper at Castleton near Rochdale, suspecting some poachers were on the estate, went in search of them. He had not gone over many fields before he came in contact with two men, whom he charged with an intention of stealing game. The men not relishing the accusation, or fearing the consequence of a trespass, seized the poor gamekeeper, stuffed him head and shoulders into a rabbit’s burrow, and drove a stake into the ground, between his legs, to prevent his escape, which effectively pinned him in. The poor fellow remained in that situation until noon the next day, when he was discovered by some Labourers, who naturally concluded that he had fallen victim to some animal which had endeavoured to draw him into its den, and, under this impression, repaired homeward to obtain more assistance, before they would attempt his rescue.”
The Stamford Mercury, 4th June, 1824.