THE PIKE TAKEN ASHORE 71 



sently the writhing mass came to the top of the 

 lake and, rolling over and over, showed now on 

 the crest, now in the trough of the waves. There 

 the otter wrenched herself free and, half-throttled 

 though she was, at once joined in the attack. 

 The three soon overpowered their prey and 

 landed with it at an opening in the reeds. Whilst 

 they were dragging it from the water's edge a 

 tremor passed through the fish. Immediately 

 the hungry hunters relaxed their hold, fell to 

 and sliced and sliced and champed and champed 

 till wellnigh half the fish was eaten and the 

 great backbone showed. The feast over, they 

 licked their chops, brushed their whiskers against 

 the stems and, taking to the water, played hide- 

 and-seek amongst the lilies. 



The exultation they felt over their capture 

 showed in their excited gambols and in their 

 wild rush through the reed-bed on their way to 

 the bar. They crossed this at a gallop to the 

 edge of the tide, plunged into the breakers and, 

 reaching the quieter water beyond the surf, 

 headed straight for the great pile of rocks over 

 which the spray was dashing in clouds. On 

 landing, they threaded the sobbing passages 

 between the boulders and gained the caves that 

 honeycomb the cliff behind. There they came 



