170 OTTERS. 



Towards evening my place in the line led me along a bank 

 overhanging the stream, when I suddenly heard an unearthly 

 skirling noise at the water's edge below me. On looking over, 

 I found it proceeded from two young otters fighting over a 

 fish. They were so taken up with their quarrel that they did 

 not notice me until I had jumped down and collared one of 

 them, like a ferret, round the neck. The other at once took 

 to the water ; but this being quite shallow for some distance, 

 after depositing my gun, I was able to give chase, and suc- 

 ceeded in heading the little beast before it reached the stream, 

 and driving it back on to the shore, where I soon got hold of 

 it, like its companion, with the other hand. The difficulty 

 now was how to get rid of the struggling little wretches 

 without either being bitten by them or letting them escape ; 

 for although they were not much bigger than ferrets, they 

 were exceedingly strong, and their jaws were well provided 

 with sharp teeth. The only thing we could devise for carry- 

 ing them was a kind of bag made of one of the beater's 

 turbans. Into this they were dropped, and slung over a 

 man's back; and judging from the noises that issued from 

 the bag, they seemed still to be carrying on their feud even 

 there. After beating back to where we had left our ponies, 

 we cantered home, well satisfied with our varied bag and our 

 pleasant day's sport. 



It was some time ere the little otters could be prevailed 

 upon to eat, and all endeavours to conciliate them were at 

 first repulsed with vicious looks, peculiar humming noises, 

 and attempts to bite. But hunger at last had its effect, and 

 eventually they became tame enough to play about the house, 

 although they would never permit themselves to be freely 

 handled. They soon learnt to know their names, and would 

 come to me when whistled to. At breakfast they were always 

 beside my chair, and would sit up and beg like dogs, keeping 

 up an incessant whistling noise until they got something to 

 eat. Although I took every measure for their comfort by 



