QUESTING FOR FLAT-FISH 43 



sently they entered the fen, where they disturbed 

 some wild-duck and set the moorhens calling in 

 notes of alarm which were taken up by the fowl 

 on the other side of the creek, but subsided the 

 instant the intruders' gambols showed they had 

 no murderous intentions. 



Close on midnight, when the tide was about 

 half flood, the otter, with the cubs at her side, 

 re-entered the creek in search of flat-fish. Her 

 quest was no easy one, for she had crossed the 

 sandy bottom but once before the fish, becoming 

 aware of the presence of their dreaded enemies, 

 gave up feeding, and buried themselves in the 

 sand. A pair of eyes dotted here and there 

 about the wide bed was all that showed, and it 

 was for this sign of the fish's presence that the 

 otter searched, jerking her head this way and 

 that to scan the ground on each side of her 

 course. At the fourth dive she suddenly sighted 

 prey, as suddenly ceased propelling herself, and 

 stopped within a foot of the spot where the rest- 

 less eyes were watching her, while the cubs, who 

 had shot past, turned, full of wonder, and re- 

 joined their mother. Then the otter stretched 

 out a fore-leg, touched the plaice through the 

 thin layer of sand and put it to flight. The cubs, 

 taken aback by the unexpected appearance of 



6—2 



