AN OTTER 263 



We were now in a salmon cast called the 

 Whirls, which runs deep and solemn, and we had 

 scarcely set our leisters in the rest, ere we found 

 that a fisherman had been to work before us, and 

 an excellent hand he was at the sport ; he had 

 neither light nor boat, and, being tolerably hungry, 

 I suppose, was devouring a twelve-pounder, all raw 

 as it was, in the dry channel of the river. 



" See ! the otter, the otter ! he has got into the 

 water. Bring round the boat, — quick, quick. Now 

 keep her on the edge of the deep current, and we 

 shall leister him to a certainty." No such thing. 

 He had not yet made up his mind to be leistered ; 

 and, being of a solitary disposition, rather shunned 

 our society than otherwise ; so, instead of attempt- 

 ing to gain the main stream, he went insidiously 

 down the shallows, where no boat could swim. He 

 was thus out of the reach of being speared in the 

 usual manner ; but Charlie Purdie had a go at him 

 by flinging his leister from a distance — 



" Nequicquam patrias tentasti lubricus artes, 

 Vane Ligur. 11 



It was a complete failure. Charlie followed up the 

 thing, however, by leaping out of the boat ; nothing 

 could be fairer or more honourable, as he thus gave 

 the amphibious animal the advantage of element. 

 The men were all eager and in commotion ; so 

 what with boat and lights, to say nothing of the 

 dreadful tridents, the beast was fairly confused, and 

 almost surrounded. Purdie, who had sent away 

 his leister upon a vain errand, albeit unarmed, 

 continued the chase on foot, and at length gripped 



