Page:Life Story of an Otter.djvu/167

Rh never dreaming of such an easy chance as that offered by otters on the snowed-up mere.

'Can I hold straight enow, wonder.’ 'Iss, sure,' came the complacent answer; 'you can hold straight enow for that.'

Nevertheless, as if conscious that he could not and fearing to put his enfeebled powers to the test, he kept blowing on the barrels, though all the dust had gone, until at last, remembering the dark, snow-laden sky, he raised the stock to his shoulder, shut one eye, and looked along the gun. In his younger days man and weapon might have been molten together in bronze, so steadily could he stand and hold; but now, as he had dreaded, the sight zig-zagged over the pane when he aimed at a starling on the medlar-tree outside.

’"Tis no use; couldn't hit a seal, leave alone an oter, with muzzle wobblin' all over the place like that—dear, dear, oh, dear!' and he sank into the corner of the settle.

But as he sat before the furze fire which a girl was tending, warmth came back to his hands, the thought of the golden sovereign quickened his blood, and he resolved to make a second attempt. Rising to his feet, he again raised the gun to his shoulder and, holding his