Q-totnei 



mix-ups, whacked the water with their tails, 

 wrestled, and dived again. There were two or 

 three play-centres, but the play went on without 

 intermission, and as their position constantly 

 changed, the merrymakers splashed water all 

 over the main pond before they calmed down and 

 in silence returned to work. I gave most atten- 

 tion to the harvesters, who felled the aspens and 

 moved them, bodily or in sections, by land and 

 water to the harvest piles. One tree on the shore 

 of the pond, which was felled into the water, was 

 eight inches in diameter and fifteen feet high. 

 Without having even a limb cut off, it was floated 

 to the nearest harvest pile. Another, about the 

 same size, which was procured some fifty feet 

 from the water, was cut into four sections and 

 its branches removed; then a single beaver would 

 take a branch in his teeth, drag it to the water, 

 and swim with it to a harvest pile. But four 

 beavers united to transport the largest section to 

 the water. They pushed with fore paws, with 

 breasts, and with hips. Plainly it was too heavy 

 for them. They paused. " Now they will go for 

 help," I said to myself, " and I shall find out who 

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