162 ON THE FEONTIEE. 



Night brings the beaver on the scene. As he paddles 

 along the centre of the stream, he sniffs the to him 

 alluring fragrance of the medicine. He turns towards it, 

 and swims carefully in its direction. He detects nothing 

 alarming, he gets into the avenue of twigs, and guided by 

 them, arrives close to the bait-stick. He raises his nose to- 

 wards its scented top it is just above his reach ; he gives a 

 quick paddle or two in the water to raise himself, one of his 

 feet strikes the pan of the trap. Quick as a lightning-flash 

 he is fast. Immediately he turns, and strikes for deep water. 

 The chain, fastened to the pole, brings him up out of his 

 depth, and in mid current ; its weight keeps him under 

 water. He is drowned, and he is yours. 



My readers will now see why a heavy chain and trap 

 are requisite ? A light weight would never drown a beaver ; 

 and should one ever get ashore after being caught he would 

 have all night to try and get away in. 



It very frequently happens the bottom of a stream is 

 so rocky or gravelly, that a pole cannot be driven into it ; 

 in that case a big stone anchor may be substituted for the 

 pole ; but the most usual objectionable circumstance is for 

 the stream to be shallow so far out from the bank where 

 you have " set," that the chain will not reach out to deep 

 water : in which case, there is small chance of a caught 

 beaver being drowned, and should he get ashore he will 

 lunge and pull on the chain with all his might, and with 

 great perseverance, and may eventually pull up the stake. 

 Should the beaver succeed in getting the stake loose, he 

 will drag it to shore, cut the chain from it, take to shallow 

 water, swim and paddle along until he arrives at some hole 



