CHAPTER V 
THE OTTER PLAYS ON 
LONG-BODIED, yellow-brown animal 
A walked out of the woods and paused 
for a moment by the rapids of a moun- 
tain stream. Its body architecture was that 
of a dachshund, with the stout neck and small 
upraised head of a sea lion. Leaping into the 
rushing water it shot the rapids in a spectacular 
manner. At the botton of the rapids it climbed 
out of the water on the bank opposite me and 
stopped to watch its mate. This one stood at 
the top of the rapids. It also leaped in and 
joyfully came down with the torn and speeding 
water. It joined the other on the bank. 
Together they climbed to the top of the 
rapids. Again these daredevils gave a thrilling 
exhibition of running the rushing water. They 
were American otter, and this was a part of their 
fun and play. A single false move and the swift 
water would have hurled and broken them 
against projecting rocks. In the third run one 
clung to the top of a boulder that peeped above 
the mad, swirling water. The other shot over 
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