of 



into the water, and then floated them to the 

 harvest piles, one of which was being made be- 

 side each house. Some were quietly at work 

 spreading a coat of mud on the outside of each 

 house. This would freeze and defy the tooth 

 and claw of the hungriest or the strongest pre- 

 daceous enemy. Four beavers were leisurely 

 lengthening and repairing a dam. A few worked 

 singly, but most of them were in groups. All 

 worked quietly and with apparent deliberation, 

 but all were in motion, so that it was a busy 

 scene. " To work like a beaver !" What a stir- 

 ring exhibition of beaver industry and fore- 

 thought I viewed from my boulder-pile! 



At times upward of forty of them were in 

 sight. Though there was a general cooperation, 

 yet each one appeared to do his part without 

 orders or direction. Time and again a group of 

 workers completed a task and without pause 

 silently moved off and began another. Every- 

 thing appeared to go on mechanically. It pro- 

 duced a strange feeling to see so many workers 

 doing so many kinds of work effectively and 

 automatically. Again and again I listened for 



22 



