THE OTTER AND HIS WAYS. 



17 



out, and after nine miles we found, had one hour and twenty 

 minutes, and killed. Wednesday, i8th, at Lodre Bridge, soon got 

 on a trail ; making good my lower point, turned and rattled up 

 stream merrily ; seven miles and a half brought us to the varmint's 

 quarters ; had some good sport, and killed a brace. Next day 

 (Thursday) met at the kennels, Lyndhurst ; close by was a pond of 

 several acres, which it was thought advisable to draw before going 

 down stream. On arriving there, the hounds at once had some 

 very hot scent, and casting round, hit him off through a thick cover 

 above. Catching sight of his seal, it put new life into my veins. 

 ' Yoicks forward, my lads ' (but not a word to the field), away we 

 went out of cover, across thirty acres of mowing grass to another 

 co\-er above, through which the pack dashed as if running- a fox 

 and on to another pond ahead. Leaving this in the rear and cross- 

 ing a road, they broke into a large inclosure of heather and sedge. 

 The hunting now was simply beautiful ; over the hedge they go, at 

 the farthermost end, and out on the common, through a small piece 

 of water, and away over the hills (many of the field, I believe, 

 fancying I could not be hunting an otter, the country being full of 

 deer and foxes, but my faith never wavered). Sinking the next 

 valley, we came to the river where w^e killed our brace of otters the 

 previous day, only it was a mile or two farther up stream ; here 

 was a welcome halt for a minute or two. I made my cast above 

 but found he had not gone up. ' Hark back ; ' and two hundred vards 

 below hounds got on to him again, making the woods ring with their 

 music. Passing the holt of the previous day, they carried it down 

 stream for about four miles ; and here he again left the river the 

 hounds hitting the line across a portion of the forest, and droppino- 

 into the Burley stream, up which they hunted him beautifully ; now 

 searching for him as if they meant to find. But it was hark forward 

 again on to Burley, where several hundred head of cattle and 

 several cottages brought the hounds to a check. However, I was 

 soon on the spot, and lost no time in casting above the cotta^^es 

 as the day was growing older. ' Yoicks 1 at him again ! ' and three 

 hundred yards farther up Harlequin (the rough hound, which 

 no doubt you recollect), galloping up by the stream, winded him 

 in the hedge, made a dash, and out my friend came into the water, 

 and was soon killed. I'hus ended one of the best days from first 

 to last I ever saw, the distance covered being about sixteen miles, 

 Saturday, 21st, met at Lymington Bridge, turned down stream, 

 struck a trail at once, which we hunted about two miles, when the 

 otter left this river also and went three or four miles across the 



