AMPHIBIOUS COMBATS. 187 



the tenacity of bulldogs. Then they rose to the 

 top, this time separated, and at some little dis- 

 tance apart, both plainly much spent. Then they 

 circled about one another, much in the same 

 way as two boxers sparring. Again a mad rush 

 at each other, and again the strong jaws of his 

 opponent, and the same scene was enacted 

 again. I thought it was about time to push out 

 and take a closer aspect of affairs. The fight 

 was interesting, but the chance of getting a 

 beaver and an otter, with one shot, far sur- 

 passed the proverbial, "two birds with one 

 stone." 



What little breath of wind that ruffled the 

 bay was in my favor, so with both barrels of 

 my gun cocked leaning against the canoe bar, I 

 sculled the birch silently but swiftly thru the 

 water unnoticed by the combatants. When just 

 about to take my gun, "the moment too late" 

 occurred right then, and they separated as by 

 mutual consent ; the beaver swimming toward 

 the shore and the otter pawing the water in a 

 blind, dazed sort of a way. The latter being the 

 nearer to the canoe and the most valuable of the 

 two, I fired and killed him. On the flash and 

 report of the gun, the beaver dived and I pushed 

 the canoe in his direction, with the other barrel 

 ready when he should come up. I had over- 

 shot the place when he had disappeared and 



