00-KOO-HOO PLAYS THE GAME 131 



knife against a stick in imitation of a beaver cutting wood — 

 a sound somewhat similar to that of the boring of a large auger. 

 It is astonishing how far, on a still night, beavers will hear such 

 a sound and come to help their friends at work. When Oo-koo- 

 hoo shot beaver he charged his gun with four slugs and fired for 

 the head, as he explained that ordinary shot was too fine and 

 scattered too much, while a single ball was too large. 



OO-KOO-HOO SHOOTS A BEAR 



The following morning Oo-koo-hoo and I set out to go the 

 round of the northern trapping trail which for some distance 

 followed the valley of Beaver River, upon the bank of which 

 traps, snares, and deadfalls for bears were set. Along that 

 section of the river there were also traps set for otters, beavers, 

 and muskrats; but the hunting of these amphibious animals 

 was pursued with more diligence in the spring than in the 

 winter. Though we hauled a hunting toboggan, the snow 

 was not yet deep enough for snowshoes, but what a feast 

 of reading the forest afforded us ! What tragedies were written 

 in the snow! Here we followed a mink's track as it skirted the 

 river bank that wound in and out among the trees, showing that 

 the mink had leaped here, crouched there, or had been scratch- 

 ing beyond in the snow. Evidently it was in search of food. 

 Presently we noticed another track, that of an ermine. The 

 two trails were converging. Now, apparently, the mink had 

 seen its enemy, and, therefore, in order to get past the ermine 

 and escape trouble, it had increased its speed. At this point 

 the ermine had spied it and had redoubled its speed. Now 

 they had both bounded along with all their might. But as 

 ill-fate would have it, they had met. A violent struggle had 

 ensued. Blood was spattered upon the snow. From the 

 battle-ground only one trail led away. It was that of the 

 ermine. But though the snow was marked by the footprints 



