LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

OTTER BASKING IN SHALLOW WATER[Frontispiece]
To face page
OTTER TRACKS LEAVING WATER, WALKING[40]
FURROW MADE BY OTTER IN DEEP SNOW[40]
TUNNEL MADE BY OTTER IN SNOW[53]
OTTER TRACKS IN SNOW, JUMPING[53]
THE HUNTSMAN BRINGING HIS OTTER ASHORE[79]
K. AND D.O.H. RETURNING TO THE MAIN RIVER[79]
A KILL WITH THE K. AND D.O.H.[102]
HI, WORRY, WORRY![102]
A FAMOUS OTTERHOUND, MR W. THOMPSON'S "SNOWDROP"[116]
SOME OF MR W. THOMPSON'S ROUGH OTTERHOUNDS[116]
K. AND D.O.H. MOVING OFF TO DRAW[139]
GOING TO THE MEET BY FERRY ON LAKE WINDERMERE[139]

[INTRODUCTION]

Beck House,
Giggleswick,
Feb. 12th, 1922.

My Dear Clapham,—I am much flattered at your invitation to write an introduction to your "Book of the Otter," and only wish I were a good enough hand with the pen to do your most interesting book the justice it deserves.

If I were asked to find fault with your work I should say its only failing was its brevity. And I would ask for a few more hunts and to have them rather more elaborated. And if you could not only expound to whips, either amateur or professional, how you do your own work as such but make them into whips as good as yourself thereby you would take an enormous amount of worry and responsibility off many a huntsman's shoulders.

As you say in your letter to me, a book on such an interesting subject is sure to create a friendly criticism, more particularly on such controversial subjects as early meets versus late ones and pure-bred otterhounds versus draft foxhounds.

Admittedly you and I have always taken rather opposite views on these two questions, so despite the very fair pros and cons you give these respective arguments in your book, may I put in a further argument in each case on behalf of hounds?