8 THE LIFE STORY OF AN OTTER 



not leave the nest by day as she had occasionally 

 done before. One noon, however, impelled by 

 her own hunger and the cubs' piteous entreaties 

 for food, she put aside her apprehensions and 

 stole out, leaving them to their own devices. As 

 quickly as her pads could carry her, she made 

 her way down the hill along the rents that fis- 

 sured the peaty ground, dived across the swollen 

 pool in the hollow below, dashed over the sward 

 beyond some alders, and gained the wood and 

 the river unobserved. The river Avas bank-high 

 and much discoloured, but after a long quest she 

 came on an eel abroad in the flood. Landing 

 under some bushes on the far side, she devoured 

 half the fish, and then, without a moment's 

 delay, slipped into the river and floated down 

 with the current. At a rapid pace she rounded 

 bend after bend, came ashore at a backwater, 

 leapt some felled trees, and regained the bog 

 by the same hidden ways. To her dismay she 

 found, as she had feared, the nest deserted and 

 cold. In great distress she set out to fetch the 

 truants home. She followed their trail to the 

 reed-bed, through which she dashed like a thing 

 demented, and came upon her two cubs playing 

 in the open as fearlessly as only tame creatures 

 may play. On sighting their mother, the run- 



