Otter Hunting 37 



and his gruff " Tally-ho ! " in our present 

 mood sounded as the sweetest and most 

 dulcet melody. Up and down the brook, 

 the hounds sticking close to him, the otter 

 kept moving ; at last he makes for an old 

 partially submerged barge lying at the 

 junction of the stream with the canal a 

 most difficult place from which to dislodge 

 him but he is eventually compelled to 

 evacuate his quarters by several welter 

 weights jumping on that portion of the 

 barge not under water, the oscillation of his 

 " City of refuge " caused by the gymnastics 

 of these modern Daniel Lamberts proving 

 too much for his nerves, so he vacated 

 his position. Being deep water, the otter 

 slipped out without showing himself; the 

 first intimation we have of his departure is 

 the Master's quick eye viewing him half-way 

 across the canal as he vented, but he dis- 

 appeared instantly. The only possible way 



