IN THE HIGHLANDS 57 



fine sunny February morning the long lines had been set 

 as usual overnight close off Longa Island, and we thought 

 it a good opportunity to try for otters. There was a 

 spring tide, and big George Ross, the keeper, with his 

 gun and terrier formed part of the crew. We lifted 

 our lines, and our small fourteen-foot row-boat could 

 hardly contain the fish — sixty full-sized cod and two 

 giant haddocks. Then we landed and tried the cairns 

 along the shore without success, so we began cutting 

 of! the cods' heads and getting rid of their insides to 

 lighten the boat. While engaged in this we missed 

 the terrier, Bodach (Old Man), and soon we heard a 

 faint yelping high up in the interior of the island, where 

 he had discovered otters. We followed him, and the 

 keeper, leaning down and peering in, thought he could 

 see the eyes of an otter a good way inside the cairn, so 

 he let of! the gun into the hole and killed it ! Imme- 

 diately another otter bolted and made across the heather 

 for the sea. Everyone tore downhill after it, and some- 

 one giving it a lucky blow with a stick, it was 

 secured before reaching the water. We came back 

 with a nice mixed cargo. 



My uncle was not so lucky. He says : " We boys had 

 of!ers out for young otters which we meant to train to 

 fish for us at command, and one day, to our great delight, 

 a lad brought to Tigh Dige a creel with four young otters. 

 They were the size of kittens a month old, such dear 

 little pets, and we instantly procured a tub of their 

 native element, into which we emptied the little darlings. 

 To our amazement, they yelled and strove like mad to 

 get out of the tub. Then came old Watson the keeper 



