THE OTTER. 107 



how deceptive the moving shadows are under such 

 conditions how, to the imaginative mind, they 

 are apt to take on the semblance of great, moving, 

 octopus shapes floundering below the surface. 



I was just in the act of landing a fine trout, when 

 one of these phantom shadows suddenly separated 

 from the rest, and began to wind a rapid, sinuous 

 course towards me. All that I saw was a large 

 black animal, having a snake-like body of appa- 

 rently unlimited length, gliding, sliding, making 

 its way through the riffles, while in the dim light 

 it assumed unheard-of and terrifying dimensions. 



Of course it was an otter, but I did not wait to 

 investigate further. Without delay I dropped my 

 tackle and fled back to the farm, soliciting the 

 company of a friendly farm-hand, who accom- 

 panied me back to recover the rod, not forgetting 

 to subject me to a goodly amount of chaff then and 

 thereafter. I have no doubt to this day that the 

 otter was in pursuit of the trout I was actually 

 landing, which had attracted its notice by fighting 

 on the surface. 



ON THE SALMON REDD. 



A very old and hardened angler with whom 1 

 am acquainted was one night badly frightened by 

 an otter. This man was, and is still, the most 

 notorious salmon-poacher on the Tweed which is 

 saying a good deal ! He lives by his rod winter 

 and summer, and, like so many Border men,cherishes 

 a deadly feud against the water-bailiffs, who are 

 set to protect the salmon against illegal capture. 

 The law enforces certain regulations ; the poachers 

 say that the salmon come from the sea, and there- 

 fore belong to no one which is every one that 

 they are the property of the man who catches 



