The bank gained, I turned my head for an instant, and saw my pursuer seemingly stuck in the treacherous mud-belt; but I did not waste precious time watching him. That he still reckoned me his I felt sure; that I should escape I had little hope; nevertheless, I meant to do my utmost to save my life. I galloped down-stream close to the water's edge, took the otter's path across the neck of the bend, swam the river, and on landing plunged into the great reed-brakes.
On, on I went at my full speed, driven by mortal fear. I knew I was not yet out of danger. Here a wild-duck rose in affright, there a moorhen scurried out of my way; but I kept straight on past clumps of osmunda ferns and flags, and across backwaters till at last, after swimming a maze of water-ways, I came to the grassy promontory that flanks the inflow of the river into the mere.
For a moment I stood there irresolute. Should I take to the water or trust to the bordering reeds? Whilst I hesitated, I thought I heard the hound coming, and the next instant dropped into the stream. Partly by swimming, but chiefly by the aid of the current, I succeeded in reaching the nearest islet of the little archipelago that studded the rippled expanse. There I hoped to find refuge from my relentless pursuer.
I had arrived only just in time, for, peeping through the sedgy growth that covered my hiding-place, I saw the hound gallop to the end of the promontory and stand gazing over the wide surface. Then he withdrew to the brake that rose like a lofty wall about the mere. I could trace his progress by the rising of the wild-fowl whose sanctuaries he invaded, and later by the glimpse I got of the angered swan swimming defiantly across the narrow opening of a big creek about which the array of reeds was densest. I saw no further sign of the brute that had so rudely violated the summer peace of the fenland, but wisdom seemed to dictate that I should look elsewhere for a more peaceful home.
Transcriber's Note
Page [12]: Changed "night" to "nights."
(Orig: And how short those night were!)
Page [20]: Changed "crusing" to "cruising."
(Orig: crusing restlessly up and down the turf)
Page [23]: Changed "noes" to "noses."
(Orig: turned up our noes at such food)
Page [37]: Changed "exhilirating" to "exhilarating."
(Orig: It was most exhilirating to be wandering)
Page [40]: Changed "thristing" to "thirsting."
(Orig: stealthy enemy thristing for its blood)
Page [42]: Changed "lucious" to "luscious."
(Orig: every bit of the lucious morsel)
Page [53]: Changed "malard" to "mallard."
(Orig: a loud quack the malard disappeared)
Page [53]: Changed "mallord" to "mallard."
(Orig: How he enjoyed the mallord,)
Page [67]: Changed "nothinginess" to "nothingness."
(Orig: dwarf into nothinginess the annoyances)
Page [71]: Changed "manteled" to "mantled."
(Orig: skimmed the brake that manteled the steep slope)
Page [74]: Changed "pursurers" to "pursuers."
(Orig: I should be able to elude my pursurers)
Page [76]: Changed "rocognized" to "recognized."
(Orig: he rocognized the bedraggled cub)
Page [81]: Changed "grievious" to "grievous."
(Orig: Chief of these are the grievious losses)
Page [92]: Changed "be" to "he."
(Orig: killed by the pack; be was the man who,)
Page [103]: Changed "waching" to "watching."
(Orig: It was bitter work waching with the gale in your teeth,)
Page [132]: Changed "pursurer" to "pursuer."
(Orig: and saw my pursurer seemingly stuck)