OTTER HUNTING, FALCONRY, SHOOTING 105 



tipped with metal. This pole is used as a help in getting 

 over hedges and ditches, for sounding depths, and for 

 ' poking about ' generally. The upper end of the pole 

 is nowadays fitted with a small ring, in place of the old 

 spear head. 



A few cheery " Good mornings," and hounds are 

 moved off. Into the drenching dew of the meadows we 

 go, and up the side of the stream. 



There are disappointments in otter hunting as in 

 everything else, and there are even blank days. Red-letter 

 days there are also, as that described by the late Mr. 

 Collier in 1884, when his hounds, finding close to Lynd- 

 hurst, took right away from the river and over the hills, 

 and killed at the end of sixteen miles. We will, however, 

 discuss no extreme instances, but take an ordinary typical 

 day. 



It is not long before a hound opens, and immediately 

 the whole pack rallies to him, and is soon feathering over 

 a patch of grass, where it is evident an otter has come 

 out and rolled. Then up the stream they go, first one 

 hound and then another giving tongue, as they pick up 

 from point to point a fairly good scent. They are 

 * hunting a drag,' or in other words, puzzling out the 

 course followed by the otter in its wanderings of the 

 previous night. This at least is the hope of all con- 

 cerned, though it is of course possible they may be 

 1 running heel ' drawing away from their otter instead 

 of up to him. 



