In Beaver-Land 165 



were made to serve the beaver's ends, you 

 wonder at his cunning and his marvelous 

 builder's instinct. Then when you see his de- 

 vice for keeping the water from wearing the 

 dam by constant overflow, which is nothing 

 more or less than a waste-water dug about 

 one end of the dam, you are still more deeply 

 impressed with his sagacity. 



The beaver might have learned his house- 

 building habit of the Indian, or perhaps the 

 Adobe house builders, so closely has he fol- 

 lowed their plan. But he is wiser than they, 

 for his front door is always locked. 



How can we deny the wonder and the mys- 

 tery of this life in the beaver colony? The 

 village with its sages and wise men, the house- 

 hold with its heads and its babes and young- 

 sters, the strong wall or bulwark built about 

 the city for the mutual protection of all. The 

 supplies that have been stored up against the 

 time of dearth and the ingenious mind or in- 

 stinct, if you like the word better, that meets 

 and overcomes all these adverse condi- 

 tions? 



