THE CUBS MOTHERLESS 79 



she is very weary, and as the pool to which the 

 hedge runs down offers no harbourage, she 

 remains where she is. But though the hounds 

 soon wind her, the denseness of the thicket 

 hinders them from getting at her until the 

 terriers force her to the river. In the shallow 

 water every eye can mark her where she swims 

 and note her shortening dives. The end is near. 

 Presently Dosmary seizes her as she rises, and 

 the pack worries her life out. 



That night, when the storm had passed, the 

 miller heard the cries of two otters in the tangled 

 coppice beyond the orchard, and as he knocked 

 the ashes from his pipe before going indoors, said : 

 ' They're missin' her, I'm thinkinV He was right. 

 It was the voice of the cubs calling for their 

 mother. 



They were there again the next night, and the 

 next ; after that they gave up the vain search 

 and withdrew to the moorland. 



It was well for the young creatures, thus 

 thrown on their own resources, that they were 

 able to fend for themselves. Indeed, as has been 

 seen, the male cub had already shown signs of 

 revolt against his mother's authority, and of a 

 desire for independence. 



He was free now, free to roam as he liked, to 



