MAN AND DOG 73 



risk of awakening the otter and being pursued, 

 he decided to wait till twilight should call his 

 enemy away and leave the way clear for him to 

 effect his escape. So he sat watching the flank 

 of the otter rise and fall, his gaze never shifting, 

 even when a cormorant rose close to the island 

 and looked at him with its green eyes before 

 resuming its fishing. 



Meanwhile the otter lay unconscious of the 

 presence of the bird ; but towards sundown the 

 scream of a gull, and again soon after, the croak 

 of a raven caused her suddenly to stir and scan 

 the moor in order to satisfy herself that there 

 was no cause for alarm. A glance telling her 

 that all was well, she immediately lowered her 

 head and dropped off again. The raven that 

 had alighted close to the pool remained till near 

 roosting time, and then flew away in the direc- 

 tion of the cliffs. 



The bird was still in sight when an alto- 

 gether unlooked-for intruder arrived. An old 

 man with a dog at his heels came on the 

 moor driving two donkeys to fetch turf; whilst 

 he was loading the panniers from one of the 

 stacks the terrier trotted to the pool to drink. 

 There he hit the scent left by the otter at dawn. 

 In an instant he was all excitement ; being as 

 intelligent as he was keen-nosed, he concluded 



F 2 



