FAMINE IN BEAVER-LAND 207 



gnawed by the beavers, but for what purpose I 

 could not then imagine. 



One crew of loggers had started to work in 

 a grove about two hundred feet from the hole 

 in the ice. They were cutting aspens that 

 were about four inches in diameter and twelve 

 feet high. But before dragging them to the 

 pond an opening or trailway through the woods 

 had been cleared. Every bush in the way was 

 cut off, every obstructing log cut in two and the 

 ends rolled aside. 



Dragging their tree cuttings to the pond was 

 slow, hard work, and it was also dangerous 

 work for a slow-moving beaver to go so far from 

 the water. A beaver is heavy bodied and short- 

 legged. With webbed hind feet he is a speedy 

 swimmer, but on land he is a lubber and moves 

 slowly and with effort. 



A few days later the purpose of the hole in 

 the ice of the frozen pond was made plain. A 

 freshly swept trail in the snow led to it out of 

 the woods. The beavers were taking their 

 green aspen cuttings through the hole into the 

 pond for their winter's food. They had begun 

 storing winter food at last. 



I followed the trail back to where a number of 

 aspens had been cut. Their stumps were about 

 fifteen inches above the snow. Two trees 

 still lay where they fell. These were about six 



