HAUNTS OF THE OTTER 45 



ain't more than a dozen yards away, and there's 

 waggins and carts goin' back'ards and forrards most 

 days, and dogs very often with 'em. There's some- 

 thin' about that air bit o' gravelly bank as suits 'em, 

 and they wun't budge. My mate clapped a trap 

 down ; it warn't baited, ye know ; he just sets it 

 under water, only just under, ye know, where they 

 lands, and he had one quick. Well, the other one 

 knowed she was fixed and tried to get her away. 

 They could see by the prints of his feet what he'd 

 bin tryin' at. She was dead when my mate got her 

 out. In the night, when he was comin' home, as he 

 passed by the place he could hear him blowin' and 

 whistlin' for her to come. They're cu'ous outlandish- 

 lookin' creeturs to my eyes, but they're mortal fond 

 o' one another, that I be sure of. Are ye goin' to 

 have a try for any o' they big bream ? ' 



' No ; bream are no favourites of mine. You and 

 I will have a chat, and then I will take a stroll 

 through the alders and willow holts to the back of 

 the old ruined castle.' 



'Ah,' he replied, ' that was a place once. There 

 ain't such a drive for miles round as that between 

 they lime trees in double rows, what used to go right 

 up to the hall door. The parties as lived there 

 thought a lot of 'em. I've sin the gardeners sweepin' 



