THE FREQUENTED CAVE 37 



delight, a big flat-fish lay at her feet, its white 

 underside uppermost. The smell of the prey, 

 strange though it was, so pleased them that their 

 nostrils twitched with anticipation. Indeed, the 

 flounder was an appetizing morsel for creatures 

 sated with eels and trout, and soon all three were 

 busy devouring it. They were not long over the 

 feast, but they had scarcely finished when the 

 grey light stealing across the creek drove them 

 to a cave in the overgrown bank. 



This was not a hover suddenly chanced on, but 

 a much-frequented place of call that the otter 

 intended making for when she left the cairn. 

 The dank vault had been occupied the day 

 before, as was evident from the dry place on 

 the slab, but it was untenanted then, save by a 

 few bats hanging from the low roof, and it 

 afforded the new-comers the accommodation they 

 required. The mother chose the ledge close to 

 the landing-place, whilst the cubs scrambled to 

 a shelf above, along the rude way worn in the 

 slaty wall by generations of their tribe. Before 

 curling up for the day, the otters, as was their 

 wont, teased with their claws every bit of under- 

 fur, and removed the thorns and furze-spines 

 about which it had matted. Then, liking the 

 taste of the salt water, they licked themselves 



