<div><h1 id='ch29'>CHAPTER XXIX<br/> <span class='sub-head'>THE YOUNG OTTER PAYS THE PRICE</span></h1></div>
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<p class='line0'>If life and freedom be the cost,</p>
<p class='line0'>What matter if a toe is lost?</p>
<p class='line0'>               <span class='it'>Little Joe Otter.</span></p>
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<p class='pindent'><span class='sc'>Have</span> you ever tried to make
up your mind to have an aching
tooth pulled? If you have, you
remember what hard work it was
and how you kept putting it off
and putting it off and putting it
off. It was the same way with
the young Otter caught in a steel
trap by one toe. His father,
Little Joe Otter, had told him that
there was only one way in which
he could gain freedom, and that
was by losing that toe. He had
told him that he would have to
lose that toe or lose his life.</p>
<p class='pindent'>But the young Otter didn’t
want to lose his toe. He said so
over and over. He just couldn’t
make up his mind to it. It seemed
to him a dreadful thing to lose a toe.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“What is losing your toe
compared with losing your life?”
his father asked.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“But perhaps I won’t lose my
life,” protested the young Otter.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“Yes, you will,” replied Little
Joe Otter. “It is just as certain
as it is that you are now caught in
this trap. I can’t help you; your
mother can’t help you; no one can
help you. That two-legged creature
who set this dreadful trap will
come to see if any one has been
caught in it. Then he’ll kill you.
If you want this to happen rather
than lose that toe, why I may as
well go back to your mother and
sister. It is useless for me to stay
here. There is no knowing when
that trapper may come and he may
have a terrible gun with him. A
good hard pull with all your might
will set you free. I’m going now.
Come on!”</p>
<p class='pindent'>The young Otter shook his head.
His eyes were filled with tears.
He couldn’t bear the thought of
being left alone, yet he couldn’t
make up his mind to lose that
toe. That toe was numb now.
That trap didn’t hurt so very
much. But he was sure that if
he should try to pull himself free,
it would hurt dreadfully. It was
because of this that he couldn’t
make up his mind to try.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“Good-by,” said Little Joe
Otter, and began to swim away
swiftly. He didn’t even look
back. At first the young Otter
couldn’t believe that he was really
being left alone. But his father
kept straight on. Every second
he was getting farther and farther
away. At last the young Otter
realized that his father had meant
just what he said.</p>
<p class='pindent'>The young Otter stood it just
as long as he could. Then the
thought of being left alone in that
cruel trap became more than he
could bear. He plunged after his
father. The trap brought him up
short. But with all his might he
struggled. He didn’t even notice
the pain. The thought of being
left alone there was worse than
any pain.</p>
<p class='pindent'>Suddenly that trap let go. At
least he thought it had let go.
He was free! I wish you could
have seen him shoot through the
water. How he did swim! Little
Joe Otter heard him coming and
waited for him. “So you decided
that freedom is worth the price of
a toe,” said he.</p>
<p class='pindent'>Such a funny look as the face of
that young Otter wore. It was
not until then that he realized that
he had left his toe behind.</p>
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