THE BOOK OF THE OTTER 



far off. If, instead of meeting early you had 

 arrived at the water late, on the foregoing occasion, 

 you would probably have hit off a weak or catchy 

 drag, and have had to go slow, trying both banks 

 carefully en route. If this happens on a stream 

 which the Master knows well, and has often hunted 

 before, he may simply cross and re-cross the water 

 to the various holts from which he has put down 

 otters on previous occasions. Should hounds 

 refuse to mark at any of these holts, and the limit 

 of the day's draw is reached, the result is a blank. 

 The same thing may happen on a river which 

 has not been hunted for a long time. The meet 

 is late, hounds are left to pick up a drag if they 

 can, the field following at their leisure, and once 

 more it is a case of "nothing doing" at the 

 conclusion of the draw. It is when an otter has 

 left the main river via a side-stream, or travelled 

 a long way overland to some pond, or other 

 retreat, that the advantage of meeting early is so 

 conspicuous. 



Late in the day the drag is very weak and 

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