68 Trails to Woods and Waters 



knew that many pools and waterfalls below 

 would dry up if I tarried, but work away as 

 I would, I could find no escape through this 

 wall that men had placed in my way. 



" At first I sought to go under the dam, or 

 through some of the many small cracks that 

 had been left in the structure. But there was 

 no passage under the strong dam, and the 

 holes were soon filled with wash from the 

 stream and I was left fretting in confine- 

 ment. 



" Then I sought to go round the ends of 

 the dam, but man had builded it long and 

 strong and as it is one of the laws of my being 

 that I cannot flow uphill, I soon found that I 

 could not go round, so I waited, making a 

 broad deep pool, abiding my time. If I was 

 not strong enough to cope with this artifice 

 now I might be later on. But the surface of 

 the pond near the dam was covered with froth 

 for I foamed and fretted at being held. 



" I had never before been checked so effect- 

 ively. Once the beaver had dammed my 

 course, but had finally concluded that my 



