A Day With the Essex Otterhounds 243 



(as we saw them that day), while hounds made "heavenly 

 music" and the crowd were cheering them on? 



No, it is no longer a wonder that England is such a delight- 

 ful country for sport, nor that her cliildren are the best and 

 keenest and most genuine sportsmen in the world. Their blood 

 is charged with it, they take it with their food and the air they 

 breathe is full of it. The writer has witnessed many interest- 

 ing gatherings in the hunting field, but for singhng out men 

 and women with true sporting blood and for bringing up boys 

 and girls in the way thej^ should go to become genuine sports- 

 men, otter hunting takes the lead. 



Hold hard there, Author, action begins: 



'^Once more the welkin rings, hounds, men, hills. 

 Rocks and woods in full concert join." 



The self-appointed members and the whippers-in have sta- 

 tioned themselves on either bank both above and below the holt 

 to see that the evasive otter does not go away unnoticed. The 

 Master wading across the stream, which is still nearly leg deep 

 in the middle, makes another investigation. In one hand he 

 carries his staff. In his arms, the three, wet, dirty, wire-haired 

 terriers are squirming in their eagerness to reach the holt; 

 meanwhile two or three followers go into the water about the 

 tree to keep back the hounds and feel if they cannot see the 

 artful otter if he swims past their legs under water. 



It was rare fun to see the courageous little terriers charge 

 these holts, one on the bank, the other at the hole, which was 

 formerly under water but now exposed. How they did make 

 the mud and dirt fly in their frantic efforts to dig their way 

 in; but the numerous roots prevented their entering much be- 

 yond their length. Just as the JNIaster had made up his mind 

 to take off the terriers and resort to pick and shovel there was 

 a great cry from twenty or more rods down stream "Tally ho 



