Page:Life Story of an Otter.djvu/220

184 'What does he scale, sir?' shouted a score excited voices.

'Twenty-nine pounds good.'

Then followed a tumult of conversation, amidst which could be distinguished:

'Now, Thomas 'Enery, what did I say all along?'

'He's a pound over and above your guess.'

'Sandy was right.'

'You said forty pound, Geordie, you know you did.'

'You'm a liard; I'

'Silence, mates!' roared the landlord, stepping into the ring; 'the squire wants to spake. Silence, I say!'

When the noisy groups of disputants at last quieted down, the squire, hoarse from his efforts, said: 'It is my custom, as you know, to distribute the pads, mask and rudder, and fling the carcass to the hounds. To-day, however, I mean to depart from the rule. I will tell you why, and I hope every one of you will agree that I am right. My view is that this fine beast'—and here he lifted the otter clear of the sand as if to emphasize his words—'which has excited so much interest and afforded a hunt we can never expect to see the like of, ought not to be broken up, but should be