"From shore to shore they swim, while clamour loud 

 And wild uproar torments the troubled flood" 



Somervile. 



XXI 



A DAY WITH THE ESSEX OTTERHOUNDS 



THE MEET — THE TERRIERS — HOUND MUSIC A GREAT DAY^S 



SPORT LOVE-MAKING HOW ENGLISH SPORTSMEN ARE AC- 

 COUNTED FOR — TALLY-HO-OTTER THE OBLIGING MILLERS. 



rilHE meet of the Essex hounds, previously referred to, was 

 -*- at Bishop's Hall Mill, Chelmsford, Essex, England. In 

 company with Lindley Bott, first whipper-in, the writer went 

 out, on the morning of July 4th, 1903, to witness and partici- 

 pate in his first otter hunt. 



A good number of brethren and disciples of the faith had 

 already assembled; they were mostly young people, say from 

 sixteen to thirt}^ years of age, with occasionally an older sinner, 

 say from forty to fifty, which latter age included the tenderfoot 

 from America. Speaking of the tenderfoot reminds him of a 

 laughable incident that happened during this particular hunt. 

 A follower asked the writer how he was enjoj^ing himself. 

 "First class," he replied, "although a tenderfoot at the game, 

 I am enjoying it immensely." "Really," replied the native, 

 looking down at the wi'iter's shoes, "are your feet hurting you?" 

 "Well, not exactly," and to let the native down easily as pos- 

 sible, — "but they are getting a bit weary." 



Let us hark back to the meet. The masculine contingent 

 were mostly dressed in flannel knickers with shirt and jacket 



