THE MATING OF BROWNIE 185 
side, and for the first time in his life Brownie 
found himself traveling over unknown dry land, 
with no water at all near by into which to plunge 
for safety. Overhead was the great, dim mys- 
tery of the forest. All around, in the trees, in 
the laurels, on the forest floor, whispered the Un- 
known. Brownie was afraid. He pulled him- 
self up and forward on his short legs as fast as he 
could, keeping close to his mother. But Pa Otter 
seemed to know what he was about, following a 
trail so dim that to you or me, probably, even in 
full daylight, it would have been invisible. This . 
trail wound up the mountainside avoiding all 
stumps and rocks by going under or around them, 
taking always the easiest way, for an otter does 
not relish the labor of pulling his long, heavy 
body over any more obstructions than he has to. 
Once over the divide, the trail went rapidly down, 
and at every possible point Pa and Ma and all the 
children tobogganed on their bellies. 
Pa stopped presently with a warning signal. 
He scented danger. Quickly Ma drove the chil- 
dren ahead of her, so that she brought up the end 
of the procession and they proceeded again with 
