172 BRITISH DOGS 



are termed, called the ' amateur whip,' one whom, by his enthusiasm 

 and general knowledge of the craft, has shown himself to be a 

 useful addition to the Hunt. As in most cases, this division of 

 the chase has its own ' calls,' the principal of which are a ' solid 

 mark,' when the pack strike the true line of the 'trail,' which 

 is the term applying distinctly to the scent of an otter ; ' bubble 

 avent,' for the air-bubbles which break the surface of a pool, 

 showing the line of the otter's passage as it travels up or down 

 stream under water. ' Heu gaze ' is the term used when it appears 

 in view, and it is ' watched ' when it makes its ' holt,' as those 

 elaborate underground workings made in the bank of the river 

 are termed, in which it sometimes passes its time during the day, 

 after having eaten a hearty breakfast ; and then the ' spur ' is 

 the name given to its footprint. 



The meet is usually made at some well-known trysting-place, 

 which, though not always near to a railway, yet generally there 

 may be found conveyances that will carry one to the river. The 

 time of appointment entirely depends on the length of the river to 

 be hunted. Those of a short course necessarily must be hunted 

 earlier than those whose length extends far into the country, the 

 reason for this being that it has been found that those otters which 

 frequent the less lengthy streams generally return to the estuaries 

 into which they empty, and unless you are up betimes the hounds 

 will only strike a trail which will soon show that the otter has 

 gone beyond their reach. Those, however, which inhabit the longer 

 rivers often betake themselves up some of the smaller tributaries, 

 and, leaving these some distance away from the main stream, find 

 shelter during the day in the woods which are sometimes to be 

 found in the vicinity. When the time of appointment has elapsed, 

 the pack, which had arrived at the river side some time previously 

 and have been duly rested, are what is called ' cast off,' or ' put 

 to water,' and while some feather along each bank of the river, 

 others swim the stream until at length a hound, whose note is 

 well known to the pack, lifts its voice in quack cadence once or 

 twice, then suddenly becomes mute. But as the rest of the pack 

 gather round, knowing full well that their companion has not 

 spoken without good cause, again comes the sound of their voices, 

 which, gathering in strength in a few seconds, breaks into a lovely 

 volume of melody. Now onward and upward dash the whole 

 pack until, maybe, they reach a long, deep pool, to which, though 

 they may have driven the trail with a good head, yet, as they 

 take the deep water, all becomes as silent as the grave. Nothing 

 discouraged, however, they begin without any hesitation at once 

 to search silently every root and nook, while the huntsman, whips, 

 and followers at the same time are eagerly looking along the 

 side of the bank, seeking for some sign of the otter's presence. 



