78 OTTER HUNTING. 



ed. Up came the other hounds quickly, with, 

 raised hackles and their sterns up. In dashed 

 the wise old Boyal to support his friend. The 

 other hounds cheered them with the most vocifer- 

 ous bursts of music from above, while their master 

 called out " Hark to Bingwood and Boyal. 

 Mark him, good old hounds. Ho ! go at him ! 

 Yoicks ! " The otter slipped away, and was 

 viewed by Broadwith, Stoddart, and several 

 others, swimming cleverly up the river under 

 water. Stoddart sung out "Here he goes, 

 Doctor ; he is a big one ; now for sport ! " How- 

 ever, he gained one of his strongholds from below 

 water, and into which no hole could be found. 

 A messenger was despatched to Deanf oot to bring 

 picks and spades, Caledonia having marked him 

 far back several feet below the surface of the 

 bank. A hole was being made there to insert 

 the terrier, when the otter voluntarily shifted 

 ground ; but no sooner had he done so than he 

 gained another place of shelter of the same sort 

 farther down, and also without any entry from 

 above. Here again he was marked far back 

 from the river, and another hole required to be 

 dug over him to admit a dog. He slipped away 

 there, and endeavoured to cross the country to 

 the Bule. The hounds seemed alive to his move- 

 ments, were soon on his track, overshot him, and 



