By always watching out for traps.

 

              Little Joe Otter².

 

Hardly had the trapper disappeared in the woods when Little Joe Otter awoke and crept forth³ from his hiding-place. He left Mrs. Otter and the two young Otters⁴ still asleep. Little Joe yawned, stretched, and then decided⁵ that he wanted a trout⁶. It didn’t take him long to catch one. With it in his mouth he swam straight to a certain old log, one end of which was in the water. He intended to climb out on that old log and eat that trout. It was his favorite eating place.

 

But just as he reached that old log and before he had started to climb out on it, a queer feeling of uneasiness took possession of him. He had a feeling that something wasn’t quite right. Now when Little Joe has that feeling he always heeds⁷ it. He didn’t climb out on that log. He turned and swam over to a flat rock. He climbed out on that and laid the fish down. Somehow he had lost his appetite. He looked long and hard over at that old log.

 

“It looks all right,” said Little Joe. “Yes, Sir, it looks all right. Just the same I have a feeling that there is something wrong there. I believe I’ll go back there and see if I can find out what is wrong.”

 

So once more Little Joe swam to that old log. But he didn’t climb out on it. He studied it and studied it. He used both eyes and nose. Presently he noticed some fresh mud on that old log. That was queer. He was sure there had been no mud there before. Very carefully he looked all around the place where that fresh mud was, and in doing this he discovered a chain. He got hold of the chain and pulled gently. What do you think happened? Why, he pulled a trap up out of a place that had been cut in that old log, and then covered with mud to hide the freshly cut wood.

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