THE OTTER HUNTER. 73 



we had but just quitted. A jutting bank suddenly shut the 

 cabin from our view, and its lights and music ceased to be 

 seen or heard. A deep unbroken silence reigned around. 

 The moon's disc appeared of unusual size, as she rose in 

 cloudless majesty over the mountain masses which earlier in 

 the evening had concealed her. Not a cloud was in the 

 sky, and the unequal outline of the hills displayed a fine 

 picture of light and shadow and the stream rippled at our 

 feet, as, " tipped with silver," we traced its wanderings for 

 miles, while its sparkling current was lost or seen among the 

 moor- land. 



Just then a human figure turned the rock abruptly, and the 

 old Otter- killer stood beside us. The rushing of the stream 

 prevented us from noticing his approach. He had been 

 examining his traps, and as the way was rugged, he was 

 delayed till now. The old man's appearance in this place, 

 and at that hour, was picturesque. His dark dress, his long 

 white hair falling down his shoulders, the seal- skin wallet, 

 the fish-spear, and the rough terrier his companion, all were 

 in perfect keeping. 



" Well, Antony, what sport?" 



" Little to speak of, Master Julius. I suspect the trap 

 wants oiling, for there was an otter's sprain ts* every place 

 about it. I went to* the lake yonder, and while the breeze 

 kept up the fish took well. I killed a dozen red trout." 



"Did you meet any of the ' gentlefolk ,'f friend Antony ? 

 This is just the night that one would expect to find them 

 quadrilling upon some green and mossy hillock." 



The old man smiled and turned to me, 



!t Well, well, the master w r on't believe in them ; but if he 

 had seen them as I did " 



" And did you really see them ?" 



" God knows, I tell you truth, Sir." Then, resting himself 

 on a rock, he thus continued : 



" It will be eleven years next month, when I was hunting 

 otters at Lough na Mucka ; the master knows the place, 

 for many a good grouse he shot beside it. I then had the 

 two best farriers beneath the canopy; this poor crater is 

 their daughter," and he patted the dog's head affectionately. 



RWell, I had killed two well-sized cubs, when Badger, 

 Marks or traces left by the animal. f Fairies. 



