146 ON SURREY HILLS. 



will not fire. In another moment he is invisible, 

 although only twelve yards distant from us, at 

 the most. 



"Hark!" murmurs my friend. "Hear that! one 

 of them is calling. There are cubs about some- 

 where. I fancy the other got the taint of me when 

 I stood in the water, and slipped round on the 

 meadow side ; but we shall soon know." 



Once more the whistling call is heard. The light 

 is now up-stream, something is coming down that 

 streak of light at a rapid pace. The water flies in 

 jets of silver light as it rushes over the shallow 

 parts." 



" All right," says my friend ; " now I shall have 

 him on this shallow." 



The gun is at his shoulder : as the dark spot passes 

 he fires almost before the otter has left the deeper 

 water. A long body rolls and twists in the water, the 

 report of the second barrel rings out, and all is still. 



Wading into the water, the man drags the poor 

 dead beast by the tail on to the bank. Looking at 

 him then in the moonlight, he finds, to his great 

 disappointment, that it is a half-grown cub, which 

 had heard its mother call and come to meet her. 



