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covered me, there was a fierce fight on top of the 

 house, in which several mixed. 



Even though they had broken into the house, 

 it would have availed them nothing, for in this, 

 as in all old colonies, there were safety tunnels 

 from the house which extended beneath the pond 

 to points on shore. In these tunnels the beaver 

 find safety, if by any means the house is ruined. 

 Although carnivorous animals are fond of beaver 

 flesh, they rarely take the useless trouble of dig- 

 ging into a house. Occasionally a wolverine or a 

 bear may dig into a thin-walled house or one not 

 frozen, then, after breaking in, lie in wait, and 

 endeavor to make a capture while the beaver are 

 repairing the hole. Beaver are more secure from 

 enemies during the winter than at any other 

 time. It is while felling a tree far from the water 

 or while following a shallow stream that most 

 beaver are captured by their enemies. 



Many a time in winter I have made a pleasant 

 visit to a beaver colony. One day, a few hours 

 after a heavy snowfall, I came out of a dark forest 

 and stood for a time on the edge of the snow- 

 covered pond. Around were the firs and spruces 

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