264 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING 



with boat and lights, to say nothing of the dreadful 

 tridents, the beast was fairly confused, and almost 

 surrounded. Purdie, who had sent away his leister 

 upon a vain errand, albeit unarmed, continued the 

 chase on foot, and at length gripped the brute by 

 the tail ; there was pulling and splashing, till at last 

 he held the otter up aloft triumphantly. Now as 

 this position, though not precisely vertical, did not 

 happen to suit the brute's convenience, the subtle 

 animal managed to twist round, and to fix his teeth 

 on the captor's arm. This was rather disagreeable to 

 Charlie, as the teeth of the otter abound in practical 

 experiments. The posture of affairs then, you see, 

 was as follows : the tenacious Purdie had hold of 

 the vermin with his dexter, and was loth to relinquish 

 his grip ; the foe, nothing behind in tenacity, fixed 

 his teeth in Charlie's sinister with equal perseverance; 

 thus both his arms were fully occupied. Nothing 

 daunted, Charlie cried out with Spartan endurance, 

 " Hey, lad, but twae can play at that ! " So, extend- 

 ing his jaws, he fixed his grinders in the animal's 

 throat and worried him exceedingly. In fine, after 

 a very ludicrous struggle, he shook off my excellent 

 namesake and flung him on the shore, where he was 

 despatched with the leisters before he could regain 

 the river. Thus ended " the battle of Otterbourne " ; 

 and thus ended, also, our sport for the night ; for the 

 beast, no doubt, had disturbed that cast, which, 

 together with the lower water, was set apart for 

 another night's amusement. 



We now marched home with our spoil, trium- 

 phant ; Sandy in front, with the blazing beacon over 



