Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-08-08


marine world OF It's own. |, is here the
otter repairs from his rocky lair aud,
supported by the giant stems, lies in
wait for pres. our beat is carefully
steered about thirty yards from the inner
kelp line, and the riieman. his wide
soabrero bEim folded inSo as % exclude
the light eNcep, in front. CLUES his eyes
to the oily greenish surface to
seaward. Sometimes ae grasps his
cooked weapoG tighter as some pur-
sued flying fish breaks above the surf
swell, or some hi, OF kelp lifts :tself
moment higher than the rest. Suddenly
his trained eye catches sharp lift of the
Mater ahead 1t is the ''fuke" made by
the quick upward stroke Of the startled
otter's hind feet and tail as he forces
himself under water in his frantic race
for the shore Now If the otter woaii
only content himself with remaining in
the kelp, amid whose patches OF leaves
liS--t-~----~i.e noSe would remain unde-
tettel. alL-woaid be well, but his nvaria.
quarters. Lon. experience has taught
Il" marksman that in doing this his quar-
/, must max exactly three dives that
IS u say. lie must come u the surface t.
breath, JUS, twice In his course. The
.:st 4 these "hrcaks will be almost
exactly IN front Of the boat, and with rifle
but; against arm. hut with his head held
! lagh AMI both eyes wide open-for this
| quickest of snap shooting allows no timt
for sighting Pedro watches almost the
exact spot the sleek, pointer like head
/ will III moment appear
Crack For an lnstaut-about the
space required 10 count rapidly Zone.
two, tht,c" the brown spo. appears and
vanishes before the riff smoke has foated
an inch from the muzzic.
Another quick fuke ahead, and then
slow smoothing OF the ripplcs.
~ clean MISS
The fact is telegraphed 10 the crew by
the quick cjectmcnt Of the empty she'll,
which is the signal for the andward oars
to hold water while the sterrsman heads
sharply toward tie shore. The boat
stops a, nearly As possible over the local
itv Of the 'brcl., for by tins means the
next SHOT, though n :. distance OF from
seventy to ninety y.sg.is, ~i have the ads
vantage Of being a cline" one. With
SCI face and partly rai~"l rih" Pciro leans
forward, every muscle aud nerve II high
est tension, ;.ni catli.e watches certain
spot half way between the boat and yon
cl,lnp Of rocks on the shore. Long
practice la, already informed isim Of the
condition Of the animal, indicated by the
distance covered by lis first dye, and he
could almost spread blanket over the
fugitivc's next breathing place
"Cracfy - again; and this time fatal
furry in the water proclalrns success.
And nov everything depends upon the
squirting capacities OF the rowers, and
the boat farly flIe, through the water in
the direction Of the "hil" Jus. in
time Leaning over the bow Pedro
-ezes the fcebly fighting prize and deft-
+ twists it into tie boat Mex. to kill
ing it is mos. important 10 retrive the
at f1r ha ctta tpke
diately when dead True that In from
five 10 eight days, even sooner in eas.
windy weather, the animal would be
washed ashore, but IN such cases its fur
is usually found 10 be aDradcd by the
rocks Or mutilatei by crabs.
Again onr course - south, keeping tho
same prescribed distance from the kelp's
margin 4 half mile slips by and once
Iaorc tic indomitablc scrutiny Of Pedro
! j. r5va~..d Th, ,itne close at hand
, Kill witi tn first shot, although q few
, i.cics t4iscalc niation by the stecrsman
a.most lo-es Us the otter. Pedro miss
ing his plunge, and the sinking quarry's
tail being seized ~ ;ae writer just IN the
nick ~ time - the boa. rtlshcs bg, an
ACHE. eat.eut that r4.,c. him very meas
urably in the estimation If The soiceless-
i applaudis. esew
A. q O'Clock sl.e return trip IS begun
and resulted III more additions to the
s. .