WILDWOOD WAYS 



foundation of some sort; one a stump 

 submerged in the muck, another a rude 

 framework of alder sticks which the 

 muskrat cuts with his strong, chisel-like 

 teeth and brings in his mouth as a beaver 

 would; others variously upheld, but all 

 so placed that the entrance may be be- 

 neath the water and beneath the ice also, 

 however thick it may freeze. 



Little does the muskrat care for my 

 marrow-piercing east wind. I '11 wager 

 that he never knows it blows, for rarely 

 indeed at this time of year does he put 

 his nose out where he might feel it. His 

 stairway leads from the under-water 

 entrance to a cosy and comfortable nest 

 lined with soft grass where he and his 

 fellows cuddle. The mud-smeared, water- 

 soaked material of their walls is frozen 

 to adamant. It is porous enough in spots 

 to give them air for breathing but does 

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