the roots of the spruce. At an aspen growth 

 about fifty feet distant they separated. Though 

 they had been closely assembled, each appeared 

 utterly oblivious of the presence of the others. 

 One squatted on the ground by an aspen, took 

 a bite of bark out of it and ate leisurely. By 

 and by he rose, clasped the aspen with fore 

 paws and began to bite chips from it systemati- 

 cally. He was deliberately cutting it down. The 

 most aged beaver waddled near an aspen, gazed 

 into its top for a few seconds, then moved away 

 about ten feet and started to fell a five-inch 

 aspen. The one rejected was entangled at the 

 top. Presently the third beaver selected a tree, 

 and after some trouble to get comfortably 

 seated, or squatted, also began cutting. The 

 fourth beaver disappeared and I did not see 

 him again. While I was looking for this one the 

 huge, aged beaver whose venerable appearance 

 had impressed me the first evening appeared on 

 the scene. He came out of a hole beneath some 

 spruces about a hundred feet distant. He looked 

 neither to right nor to left, nor up nor down, 

 as he ambled toward the aspen growth. When 



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