40 Poachers and Poaching. 



night sound? The crescent moon shows a bit 

 of light at intervals ; soon masses of cloud 

 intervene. 



A faint whistle, unlike that of any bird, comes 

 up stream, and although imperceptible the dark, 

 still water is moved. The trout cease to rise. 

 The whistle comes nearer, and then a rustle is 

 heard. The osier beds are stirred, and some long 

 dark object makes its way between the parted 

 stems. A movement would dispel the dark 

 shadow, and which in turn would divide the dark 

 water and take it silently away. The otters 

 have reconnoitered, and all is safe. They come 

 paddling down stream, and, arriving at the pool, 

 stop, tumble and frolic, rolling over and over, 

 and round and round, and performing the most 

 marvellous evolutions you could possibly con- 

 ceive. They swing on the willow spray, and 

 dash with lightning velocity at a piece of float- 

 ing bark, tumble with it, wrestle with it, and 

 go through a hundred wonderful movements. 

 They are motionless, then begin to play, and so 

 continue for nearly an hour, when, as if suddenly 

 alarmed, they rush down stream to their fishing 

 grounds, and leave us cold and benumbed. 

 We plod through the meadow beneath the 

 moon and stars, chilled to the marrow by the 

 falling dew. 



Otters are still abundant on the banks of most 



