OTTER HUNTING, FALCONRY, SHOOTING 109 



rough-coated dog, a little too prone to throw his tongue 

 on a stale scent, but a good hound nevertheless. See 

 how Bellman, that hound with the tan ears, is examining 

 every stone that shows above the water. Our quarry is 

 still going down stream, but has not been sighted again. 

 Suddenly, at the point of a little spinney, the hounds 

 leave the stream and dash off along a hedgerow. True 

 enough the otter has landed, and is bent on making a 

 point across country. He is viewed now and then, but 

 close as the hounds are at times to his stern, they 

 cannot do more than keep him moving, for he is 

 running a line of stout old thorn trees. Now into the 

 stream he goes again. On we go ; speak to him, 

 Bugler ! There is a shallow below which must be lined. 

 A human chain is formed across it ; shoulder to shoulder 

 stand some of the field (the younger ones generally, 

 who have never had rheumatism), and endeavour to 

 prevent him from going down. Twenty yards before he 

 reaches them he leaves the water again, under cover of 

 a bed of willow herb, and cutting a corner, runs right 

 between the legs of the rector of the parish and is 

 into the water again. He is now in heavy mill water, 

 where we may leave him. For, once an otter reaches 

 water such as this, he has it all his own way. He has 

 but to float about, just keeping his nose above water, 

 or coming up at intervals to breathe, and hounds can 

 do nothing with him. And if they do not take him 

 to-day ? What then ? This very night he will probably 



