162 ON THE FRONTIER 



so stopping the work. A man's time being, then and there, 

 worth half an ounce of gold per diem, this was quite a con- 

 sideration, and all interested tried to hit upon some plan 

 that would prevent the beavers from stopping up the ditch- 

 head during the day-time. 



At length, one of them, wise in his own conceit there is 

 no fear of my giving offence to the individual announced 

 he could "out-smart" any beaver, and would engage to 

 make the ditch-head safe during daylight, without a guard, 

 He consequently made up a little bundle, took it up to the 

 ditch-head, sent back the man on watch there to his work 

 and commenced operations. Producing from the bundle 

 an old pair of overalls, an ancient red flannel shirt, a 

 " demoralised " flour-sack, a condemned hat, and a ball of 

 twine, he, with grass and leaves for stuffing, constructed a 

 dummy-man. Two heavy stones served for its feet, and 

 propped by a stake, it stood astride of the ditch-head, 

 holding aloft, in a menacing mariner, a great club. Giving 

 his handiwork a glance of satisfaction and a nod of 

 approval, this ingenious "iconotect" took himself off back 

 to camp. 



At night the dummy was removed, for fear that during 

 darkness familiarity might breed the proverbial contempt. 

 Early the following morning, the beavers' usual night-work 

 across the ditch-head was destroyed, and the dummy-man 

 replaced in another new and striking attitude. By the time 

 breakfast was over the water had got down to the diggings, 

 and work commenced and continued without interruption. 

 After dinner everything was still going on all right, and 

 the man who could " out-smart any beaver " commenced 



