78 HUNTING 



too anxious to holloa when he thinks he views the 

 "chain," for the chain may prove to be only eel 

 bubbles, in which case he would find himself in much 

 the same position as the fox-hunter (?) who halloaed 

 to a hare. 



As packs of otter-hounds now are, more or less, 

 peripatetic, and pay flying visits into various counties, 

 it is impossible for us to tell our readers where they 

 can view the sport at any specific time; but during 

 April, May, and the beginning of June there is always 

 plenty of otter-hunting in the Midlands, especially 

 Leicestershire and the borders of Staffordshire and 

 Shropshire. However, the fixtures as a rule only come 

 within the ken of the local sportsmen, the outside 

 information being confined to the news that the otter- 

 hounds are in the district, and the actual sport being 

 confined to a privileged few, as it would obviously 

 never do for a crowd of foot-people to run helter-skelter 

 over land during these months of the year. But we 

 venture to say that when once any of our readers 

 have seen an otter "tailed," he will become a keen 

 votary of the sport, and echo the song of the Bucks 

 otter-hunter : — 



" So rise with the morn, 



Take whip, pole, and horn, 

 For we hunt him quite early, the ottei:. 



The dew's on the grass, 



'G'ed hon jpour la chasse.' 

 He's a devil for scent is the otter. 



Chorus : 

 " So here's to the beast called the otter ! 

 He's wily and canny, the otter. 

 No sport is more thrilling, 

 No beast takes more killing, 

 Than the varmint that's known as the otter." 



