158 THE LIFE STORY OF AN OTTER 



fear or favour. Now, is it askin' 'ee too much to 

 show a friendly spirit in return and a little con- 

 sideration for local feelin' V Here the speaker 

 paused ; but, as the bailiff showed no sign of 

 giving in, he went on : ' Come, come, Sandy, only 

 try and see the matter as we do. William Rechard 

 and Matthew Henry were born and reared upon 

 the moor, and have known the river all their 

 lives. Right or no right, do 'ee wonder they 

 think theirselves entitled to a reach or two? No, 

 you cannot, you do not. Be strong, my friend, 

 and give way.' 



Now, it was not so much what the old man 

 said as the way he said it that made the appeal 

 seem irresistible to all but the bailiff. And truly 

 the voice and manner of the speaker, mellow as 

 the rich light that flooded the low-raftered room, 

 would have gone home to men even less emotional 

 than his countrymen ; but the dour Scot seemed 

 to be not the least affected till the landlord, who 

 had hurriedly disappeared through a side-door, 

 returned with a double-handled jug of old cider, 

 and by the influence of the seductive liquid 

 brought him to reason. At the fourth cup he 

 gave in with a good grace, yielding to the miller 

 the three miles of water above the mill. At the 

 sixth he granted the reach above Moor Pool to 



