a swamp in June. He threw down his
'ikta'; every impediment he laid down upon the snow; and unwrapping
his two picks of elk-horn, he took the stoutest, and began to dig
in the frozen snow at the foot of the elk-head monument.

"No sooner had he struck the first blow than he heard behind him a
sudden puff, such as a seal makes when it comes to the surface to
breathe. Turning round much startled, he saw a huge otter just
clambering up over the edge of the lake. The otter paused, and
struck on the snow with his tail, whereupon another otter and
another appeared, until, following their leader in slow solemn
file, were twelve other otters, marching toward the miser. The
twelve approached and drew up in a circle around him. Each was
twice as large as any otter ever seen. Their chief was four times
as large as the most gigantic otter ever seen in the regions of
Whulge, and certainly was as great as a seal. When the twelve were
arranged, their leader skipped to the top of the elk-head stone,
and sat there between the horns. Then the whole thirteen gave a
mighty puff in chorus.

"The hunter of hiaqua was for a moment abashed at his uninvited
ring of spectators. But he had seen otter before, and bagged them.
These he could not waste time to shoot, even if a phalanx so
numerous were not formidable. Besides, they might be tamanous. He
took to his pick, and began digging stoutly.

"He soon made way in the snow, and came to solid rock beneath. At
every thirteenth stroke of his pick, the fugleman otter tapped with
his tail on the monument. Then the choir of lesser otters tapped
together with theirs on the snow. This caudal action produced a
dull muffled sound, as if there were a vast hollow below.

"Digging with all his force, by and by the seeker for treasure
began to tire, and laid down his elk-horn spade to wipe the sweat
from his brow. Straightway the fugleman otter turned, and swinging
his tail, gave the weary man a mighty thump on the shoulder; and
the whole band, imitating, turned, and, backing inward, smote him
with centripetal tails, until he resumed his labors, much bruised.

"The rock lay first in plates, then in scales. These it was easy to
remove. Presently, however, as the miser pried carelessly at a
larger mass, he broke his elk-horn tool.