150 THE LIFE STORY OF AN OTTER 



seconds only before they were back again ; but 

 the disabled fish made good use of the interval, 

 and had reached the mouth of the cave when they 

 overhauled it. They began anew to drag it 

 towards the surface. The monster writhed in 

 their grip, trying again and again to fold its tail 

 about some projecting rock past which it was 

 being lifted, but it failed to get a hold, and was 

 borne up, and up, and up, until the stars were just 

 visible through the water. Then the otters were 

 again compelled to let go and rise to breathe. 

 At the third attempt they barely held their own 

 against the fish, so violent was its resistance ; at 

 the next, however, after a terrible struggle they 

 succeeded in getting it to the surface, where with 

 glowing eyes they lay and rested beside their 

 ghostlike prey before essaying to land it. Soon 

 they began towing it to the cliffs towards which 

 the tide had drifted them, but before they had 

 got far the conger, singling out the stronger 

 enemy, strove to coil itself about the otter. Fail- 

 ing to get a grip of the slippery, lissom form, it 

 lashed the sea as if to vent its rage at its own 

 impotence. Then it took to shaking its head and 

 snapping its jaws. The otters however had it 

 helpless, and held grimly on their way till they 

 brought it to the edge of the breakers, where 



