"Now, nurse, will you tell me some more about Jacob Snow-storm and
the otters?"
"Well, Lady Mary, the old man had a cap of otter-skin, of which he
was very proud, and only wore on great days. One day as he was playing
with it, he said:--'Otter funny fellow; he like play too, sometimes.
Indian go hunting up Ottawa, that great big river, you know. Go one
moonlight night; lie down under bushes in snow; see lot of little fellow
and big fellow at play. Run up and down bank; bank all ice. Sit down
top of bank; good slide there. Down he go splash into water; out again.
Funny fellow those!' And then the old hunter threw hack his head, and
laughed, till you could have seen all his white teeth, he opened his
mouth so wide."
[Illustration: The Otters]
Lady Mary was very much amused at the comical way in which the old
Indian talked.
"Can otters swim, nurse?"
"Yes, Lady Mary, the good God who has created all things well, has
given to this animal webbed feet, which enable it to swim, and it can
also dive down in the deep water, where it finds fish and mussels,
and perhaps the roots of some water-plants to eat. It makes very little
motion or disturbance in the water when it goes down in search of its
prey. Its coat is thick, and formed of two kinds of hair; the outer
hair is long, silky, and shining; the under part is short, fine, and
warm.
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