146 CANADIAN WILDS. 



age way under the discharge, thereby letting out 

 a large quantity of water in a very short while. 



The Indians, knowing this careful watchful- 

 ness of the beaver, use it to his destruction by 

 purposely breaking a portion of the dam and 

 hiding, await the coming of the little builders, 

 shooting them at close range. 



I cannot do better than to describe one of 

 these shootings, in which I took part. 



One of the principal things to observe is. that 

 the wind should be in the proper direction, i. e., 

 from the lodge toward the dam. A day coming 

 when the condition of the wind was favorable, 

 we set off with our double-barrel guns, a tea 

 kettle and some grub, and reached the discharge 

 about 3 P. M. 



The little pond was brimming full with the 

 proper quantity of water, flowing out of the cut 

 to insure a regular equality. The Indian stu- 

 died all this, looked at the sun, and decided it 

 was yet too early to cut the dam, and in the 

 meantime we fixed a nice brush cache at dif- 

 ferent angles to the dam, wherein we were to 

 sit and watch. About four o'clock the Indian 

 hacked away at the discharge with a small 

 pointed stick, prying several holes under and 

 about it, and in a short time the creek below 

 the dam became a highly turbulent stream, and 

 then we retired to our bedded places and waited. 



