CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. l6l 



water had raised from four inches to six teet, 

 und evidently did not come from any freshet 

 above as the water was not at all muddy. 

 We managed to get out by wading and getting 

 uncomfortable wet. When breakfast was 

 over we proceeded down the creek to inves- 

 tigate as to the sudden rise. I knew that the 

 cause was some stoppage below, but could 

 not tell, though very anxious to find out what 

 it was. We had not gone far when we came 

 to a big beaver dam which the beavers were 

 hard at work repairing. Then the cause ot 

 the sudden rise in the creek flashed upon me. 

 The dam had lately broken and let the water 

 in the creek run out, and the beavers had filled 

 up the break the day that we camped at 

 niofht and the mvsterv of the night was ex- 

 plained. 



As a Httle sketch of the habits of this sin- 

 gularly intelligent animal may prove of inter- 

 est to some of my readers, I will stop long 

 enough to give in brief words what I know 

 of the beaver: 



This animal is about three times as large as 



(2U 



