He sprang clear out into the deep water when the struggling pair reached the surface, lashing and splashing, and the mink had only bare time to snatch a single breath of air before he found another adversary on his back, and was borne down inexorably to the bottom.
"Just about this time a perfectly new idea flashed across the mink's mind, and it startled him.

For the first time in his life he thought that perhaps he was a fool.

Young otters seemed to be so much older than he had imagined them, so much more unreasonable and bad-tempered, and to have so many teeth.

It was a question, he decided--while he was being mauled around among the water weeds--that would bear some thinking over.

He wanted to think about it right away.