OTTER-HUNTING 



penetrate. Meeting at ten o'clock on such water, 



there is little chance of a good drag, and it may 



mean hard work for both men and hounds before 



they find, and eventually put their otter down. 



Many an instance comes to mind, when if 



hounds had been put to water three or four hours 



earlier, they would have had a hot cross-country 



drag, and probably a fine swimming hunt at the 



end of it. We have known hounds meet at nine 



o' clock at the foot of a Lakeland beck, and travel 



several miles up-stream without a whimper. On 



nearing the source, they spoke to a drag in the 



depths of a shady ghyll, and carried it at a fast 



pace out on to the open fell. There the sun was 



beating down with tremendous power, and under 



its influence the drag died out. Hounds were on 



the line of a travelling otter, and had they hit off 



the drag in the ghyll at five or six o'clock instead 



of nine, they could easily have carried it over the 



watershed, and down a runner which enters a tarn 



in the next valley. A good hunt was thus spoilt, 



simply because of a late start, 



79 



