A LIKELY HOLT 137 



reaching the furzy foreland, to find that his fears 

 were groundless, that the otters, instead of cross- 

 ing the mouth of the creek, had rounded the 

 point and passed up the inlet ; for so he felt sure 

 of coming upon them, and most probably in the 

 nearer of the two likeliest holts towards which, 

 whenever he peeped from under the sheltering 

 peak of his cap, the gleaming eyes were directed. 

 It was the ancient pollard whence he had twice 

 seen an otter steal away as he sculled past the 

 island on which it grew. 



1 They're theere right enow,' the old man said 

 when he saw the trail turn that way, and raising 

 both hammers to full cock, he went on with a 

 stealth he had not before thought necessary. As 

 he reached the island he lost the tracks under the 

 snow-laden tangle. This he proceeded to beat 

 thoroughly ; but as he did not really expect to 

 find the quarry there, presently he ceased tramp- 

 ling, looked towards the hollow trunk where he 

 believed they were, called out, * Harkin', are 'ee V 

 crept as close to the bole as he dared, and peeped 

 through the cleft. He was obliged to keep at 

 some little distance to get a fair shot when they 

 bolted ; and screw his eyes and crane his neck as 

 he might, it was impossible to distinguish the 

 dark bodies in the gloomy recess. He felt sure 



18 



