THE OTTER RAIDS THE SALMON 173 



pool. Waves in the shallows showed where the 

 most timid fled at his approach ; some however 

 remained and here and there, as the water 

 favoured his purpose, he gave chase. Twice the 

 formidable marauder landed with victims which 

 he left uneaten on the bank where he laid them, 

 for lust of slaughter, not hunger or love of pursuit, 

 possessed him, and he was moved by a restless- 

 ness greater than he had ever shown. True, he 

 climbed at times on snag and boulder ; but that 

 was only for an instant before taking again to the 

 water or bank, as fancy led. 



At Longen Pool his coming caused a general 

 exodus, but he singled out one salmon, and by 

 his wily tactics prevented it from fleeing with 

 the others to the rapids below. The long chase 

 which followed was for a while in favour of the 

 fish ; yet the otter, who was not to be denied, in 

 the end wearied it out and carried it to the bank, 

 where he bit viciously at the shoulder, as if to 

 wreak his vengeance on the prey that had caused 

 him so much trouble. Presently he re-entered 

 the water, cleansed his blood-stained muzzle, and 

 making upstream turned aside into the wet ditch 

 and traversed the morass. 



On gaining the high ground above it he stood 

 awhile, as if asking himself whether at the late 



