MUSQUASH THE MUSK-RAT 225 



and gnats sunning themselves in clouds during the 

 warmth of the short autumn days, with a feel in the 

 air as of crisp ripeness, drying fruit, the harvest-home 

 of the year. In all the prairie region north and west of 

 Minnesota the Indian land of &quot; sky-coloured water &quot; 

 the sloughs lie on the prairie under a crystal sky that 

 turns pools to silver. On this almost motionless sur 

 face are mirrored as if by an etcher s needle the sky 

 above, feathered wind clouds, flag stems, surrounding 

 cliffs, even the flight of birds on wing. As the moun 

 tains stand for majesty, the prairies for infinity, so the 

 marsh lands are types of repose. 



But it is not a lifeless repose. Barely has the trap 

 per settled himself when a little sharp black nose 

 pokes up through the water at the fore end of the 

 wriggling trail. A round rat-shaped head follows this 

 twitching proboscis. Then a brownish earth-coloured 

 body swims with a wriggling sidelong movement for 

 the log, where roosts the blinking owlet. A little 

 noiseless leap! and a dripping musk-rat with long 

 flat tail and webbed feet scrabbles up the moss-cov 

 ered tree towards the stupid bird. Another moment, 

 and the owl would have toppled into the water with a 

 pair of sharp teeth clutched to its throat. Then the 

 man shies a well-aimed stone! 



Splash! Flop! The owl is flapping blindly 

 through the flags to another hiding-place, while the 

 wriggle-wriggle of the waters tells where the marsh- 

 rat has darted away under the tangled growth. From 

 other idle days like these, the trapper has learned that 

 musk-rats are not solitary but always to be found in 

 colonies. Now if the musk-rat were as wise as the 

 beaver to whom the Indians say he is closely akin, that 

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