THE OTTER IN THE LYD. 135 



and a deadly tight ensued ; while the rest of 

 the pack, mad with excitement, clambered over 

 one another in their efforts to reach them 

 from the water. Just as we were fearing the 

 worst for Floss, Sharper got up, and, directing 

 the attention of the otter to himself, saved the 

 gallant little thing. Floss would undoubtedly 

 have been killed before this but for her orame- 

 ness in hanging to the otter's head. Amber 

 and several more now reached the combatants, 

 but no one could get at them. At last the 

 keeper lay flat down on the top of the bank, 

 and with his legs held by willing volunteers 

 among the field, he let himself down, and, amid 

 a scene of the greatest excitement, succeeded in 

 tailing the otter. He was then hauled up, with 

 the whole pack swarming round him, and the 

 who-whoop was sounded. The otter was a fine 

 fellow of 24 lb. 



I was told that this was the first otter that 

 had been killed in Buckshaw mill-pond, though 

 there is an amusing story of an attempt Mr 

 Collier had made some years before in this 

 water. Having heard of an otter being in the 

 pond, he took his hounds and tried unsuccess- 

 fully till darkness set in. Determined not to be 

 beaten, he then kennelled his pack at the farm, 

 and sat up in the kitchen all night. At break 

 of day he started again ; but in the end had 

 to acknowledge himself beaten, as the otter had 

 vanished. 



