I do not know how long the otter had 

 been fishing when I arrived, but I watch- 

 ed him work fully fifteen minutes, when 

 he came to the surface without a fish. 

 He then deliberately surveyed his catch, 

 appearing to gloat over it, after which 

 he started down stream, tumbling in 

 and climbing out of the water as far 

 as he could be seen and I heard him 

 several minutes after he had gone out 

 of view. 



Coming out of my cramped position 

 of concealment, I crossed over on the 

 fallen tree and saw scattered over the 

 opposite bank literally scores of trout, 

 large and small; some had their heads 

 bitten off, others were cut in half, all 

 were mutilated. Obviously, the otter 

 had eaten his fill and then had continued 

 to fish just for the joy of killing, like 

 some other trout-hogs in human form, 

 such as we all have met. 



I went back to camp that night with- 



28 



