THE BOOK OF THE OTTER 



steadily up-stream. If the drag is hot, the pack 



will run it at speed, until they finally mark their 



otter in his holt, or the trail suddenly comes to an 



end, and hounds are at a loss. In this case your 



otter may have gone on some distance in the water, 



the latter having carried all scent away, and then 



landed at some holt farther up. He may, too, 



have crossed the stream — perhaps in deep water — 



and retired to a holt on the opposite bank. Again, 



he may have dropped down with the current to his 



original starting point, leaving no trace behind 



him. If the river is narrow, he may, of course, 



have crossed and re-crossed it in his journey 



up-stream, the same applying in a lesser degree, 



to a wide river. If possible, it is wise therefore to 



have a number of hounds on each bank, instead 



of, as some huntsmen do, crossing with the pack at 



shallows or other spots where the stream can be 



forded. 



By keeping hounds on the one bank and crossing 



here and there, much water and many a likely holt 



is passed over. Harking back, however, to where 



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