The Foxhound, so wonderful in his forward dash, may have too much of it for otter hunting.  The otter is so wary.  His holt can very well be passed, his delicious scent may be overrun; but the pure-bred Otterhound is equal to all occasions.  He is terribly certain on the trail when he finds it.  Nothing can throw him off it, and when his deep note swells into a sort of savage howl, as he lifts his head towards the roots of some old pollard, there is a meaning in it—­no mistake has been made.  In every part of a run it is the same; the otter dodges up stream and down, lands for a moment, returns to his holt; but his adversaries are always with him, and as one sees their steady work the impression becomes stronger and stronger that for the real sport of otter-hunting there is nothing as good as the pure-bred Otterhound.  There is something so dignified and noble about the hound of unsullied strain that if you once see a good one you will not soon forget him.  He is a large hound, as he well needs to be, for the “varmint” who is his customary quarry is the wildest, most vicious, and, for its size, the most powerful of all British wild animals, the inveterate poacher of our salmon streams, and consequently to be mercilessly slaughtered, although always in sporting fashion.  To be equal to such prey, the hound must have a Bulldog’s courage, a Newfoundland’s strength in water, a Pointer’s nose, a Retriever’s sagacity, the stamina of the Foxhound, the patience of a Beagle, the intelligence of a Collie.

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THE PERFECT OTTERHOUND:  HEAD—­The head, which has been described as something between that of a Bloodhound and that of a Foxhound, is more hard and rugged than either.  With a narrow forehead, ascending to a moderate peak.  EARS—­The ears are long and sweeping, but not feathered down to the tips, set low and lying flat to the cheeks.  EYES—­The eyes are large, dark and deeply set, having a peculiarly thoughtful expression.  They show a considerable amount of the haw.  NOSE—­The nose is large and well developed, the nostrils expanding.  MUZZLE—­The muzzle well protected from wiry hair.  The jaw very powerful with deep flews.  NECK—­The neck is strong and muscular, but rather long.  The dewlap is loose and folded.  CHEST—­The chest, deep and capacious, but not too wide.  BACK—­The back is strong, wide and arched.  SHOULDERS—­The shoulders ought to be sloping, the arms and thighs substantial and muscular.  FEET—­The feet, fairly large and spreading, with firm pads and strong nails to resist sharp rocks.  STERN—­The stern when the hound is at work is carried gaily, like that of a rough Welsh Harrier.  It is thick and well covered, to serve as a rudder.  COAT—­The coat is wiry, hard, long and close at the roots, impervious to water.  COLOUR—­Grey, or buff, or yellowish, or black, or rufus red, mixed with black or grey.  HEIGHT—­22 to 24 inches.

CHAPTER XV