188 THE MASTER-OTTER, 



eminent. By a singular anomaly, the first is said to be found 

 in certain inland loughs, and his appearance is imagined to be 

 fatal to the unfortunate person who encounters him. The 

 latter, however, should be an object of anxious research, for 

 he is endued with amazing virtues. Where a portion of his 

 skin is, the house cannot be burned, or the ship cast away, 

 and steel or bullet will not harm the man who possesses an 

 inch of this precious material. Antony, indeed, confesses, 

 that in the course of his otter-hunting, he has never been 

 fortunate enough to meet this invaluable brute ; but he tells a 

 contused story of one having been killed "far down in the 

 north/* by three brothers called Montgomery, who, from 

 poverty, became immensely rich, and whose descendants are 

 opulenf to this very day. He says, the master-otter was seen 

 twice in this neighbourhood. At Dhu-hill, he appeared about 

 sixty years ago, attended by about one hundred common-sized 

 animals, who waited upon " the master/' like loyal and duti- 

 ful beasts. He was also observed by one of the O'Donnel 

 family, whilst passing through Clew Bay in a sailing-boat. 

 Requiring a supply of fresh water, O'Donnel landed on an 

 island for the purpose of filling his keg, but found the spring 

 already occupied by a strange and nondescript animal. After 

 his first surprise had subsided, he returned to the boat, and 

 procured a gun. This he loaded carefully with five fingers 

 and a half* for Antony is minute in all his narratives and 

 then, and within a dozen yards, levelled at the master. Thrice 

 he drew the trigger, and thrice the gun missed fire. The 

 otter wisely determined not to give him a fourth chance, and 

 left the well for the ocean. Mortified at his failure, O'Donnel 

 tried his gun at a passing gull ; it exploded without trouble, 

 and finished the unfortunate bird thus proving, beyond a 

 doubt, that the gun was faultless, and the preservative quali- 

 ties of the animal were alone to blame " And, indeed," 

 quoth Antony, "he might have snapped at the master to 

 eternity ; for if an inch of skin can save house, ship, and man, 

 what a deal of virtue there must be in a whole hide !" 



The legendary tales touching the appearance of ghosts, and 

 the exploits of fairies, are endless. The agency of the former 

 appears directed principally to men, while the latter exercise 



* The lower class of Irish describe the charge of a gun, not by 

 quantity of powder and shot, but by long measure. 



