44 THE LIFE STORY OF AN OTTER 



the fish, did not move till it had got some yards 

 away, but once in pursuit the male cub soon 

 recovered the lost ground, seized the prey, rose 

 to the surface, and swam ashore. Two more 

 plaice were captured within the hour, one by the 

 cubs without assistance, and from that moment 

 their mother let them quarter the sand alone. 

 They propelled themselves by their hind-legs as 

 their mother did, the fore-legs being pressed 

 against the side, except when used for sudden 

 turning movements ; but on rising to the surface 

 all four limbs came into play, while the massive 

 tail alone did the steering. When their hunger 

 was appeased they made up the creek, ducking 

 their heads as they went, until a stone fell from 

 the crumbling cliff above Deadman's Pool and 

 scared them ; they then gave over their bobbing, 

 but redoubled their speed, passing the flotsam at 

 a rapid pace, and all the way to the cave they 

 scanned the banks as if they dreaded an ambush, 

 though they had never once been waylaid. 



That day, whilst awaiting the dusk, the otter 

 resolved to make a journey up the creek after 

 the school bass. The tide did not serve before 

 midnight ; then the rain, which had threatened, 

 began to fall and, as the animals drifted by the 

 herons' island, was coming down in torrents, but 



