168 THE LIFE STORY OF AN OTTER 



them behind, was soon at the lodge gates. There 

 he nearly frightened old Jenny into hysterics by 

 his shouts ; but she took her revenge, for after 

 letting him through she shook the keys in his 

 face and screamed after him, ■ Mad as a curley ! 

 mad as a curley!' until he rounded the bend 

 where the mansion comes into view. The whole 

 house seemed asleep ; but as the miller crossed 

 the bridge over the moat the squire appeared at 

 a window and, in a voice that betrayed the 

 tension of his feelings, called out : 



'Where?' 



■ Longen Pool, sir.' 



• Fresh ?' 



' Last night's.' 



' Rouse the men, Hicks ; we shall need every 

 hand we can muster.' 



Before he had got through the plantation on 

 his way to the kennels the clang of the fire- 

 alarm broke on the still morning air, and when 

 he returned from his round, squire, whipper-in 

 and hounds were making their way through the 

 park with a small retinue of servants in their 

 train. At the hamlet they were joined by 

 the parson, the parish clerk, the landlord, two 

 sawyers, and six or seven others, and between 

 the pound and the river by a few crofters, whom 



