THE TELL-TALE BUBBLES 179 



' Iss, sir. The King Oter, I call him.' 



' Then why didn't you bring word V 



1 1 did, sir, fast as I could, but you'd gone off 

 to the revur. 'Twas Mr. Pugmore as told me.' 



1 1 see, I see ! Pull with your right, or we 

 shall be into the island. That will do ; now both 

 together.' 



' Wind him, my lads ! middy ho, wind him ! 

 Padzepaw, Troubadour, Rowtor, wind him ! 

 Wind him, my lads !' 



The cheery cry seemed to put fresh life into 

 the hounds as they worked the reeds, from which 

 they presently drove the quarry to the mere. 



The squire's keen eyes searched the glittering 

 surface to get a glimpse of him, but in vain ; the 

 hounds might have been giving tongue to some 

 phantom quarry for all that he or the old man 

 saw. And so the chase continued for an hour, 

 and another and another, whilst the otter led the 

 pack from reed-bed to reed-bed, where he rose 

 and vented without exposing himself. 



At last the marshman, who at the moment 

 was resting on the oars, pointed to the surface 

 beneath the right blade. 



' The chain, the chain !' whispered the squire 

 excitedly on sighting the string of bubbles, and 

 ' There he vents !' as the nose of the quarry showed 



23—2 



