192 ON THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS 
dull blow, and then another small fish appeared, 
lowered through the hole on an almost invisible 
line. Brownie, who was hungry, made toward it, 
but his father, quick as a flash, dove in between 
and butted him away. He had seen the line, and 
suspected mischief. Very warily, he nosed the 
fish by the tail, smelled that it was fresh though 
dead, and nibbled it carefully. It was suddenly 
yanked up out of reach! 
Brownie looked on in surprise. 
Again it came down, and Brownie and his 
father each nibbled, at either end, keeping their 
mouths away from the line and the hook which 
they now detected. Each managed to get a mor- 
sel before it was again yanked up. This time the 
voices above the ice were loud and angry. Pa 
Otter turned tail and swam away, his son follow- 
ing. That was Brownie’s first experience with 
the wiles of man, though the fisher was probably 
more surprised than the otter was when he pulled 
Brownie’s poor brother up on his line. If it had 
been Brownie’s last experience, this would be a 
different story. 
The ice had gone from the lake when Brownie 
