66 BEAVERS—THEIR WAYS. 
early autumn day, we drove down the trail from Mc- 
Lean’s capital until we reached the junction of Turtle 
and Painted Woods Creeks, that form the northern 
boundary of the lake in which we had set out to float 
upon its waters in a Yankee made gondola. To the 
two misses it would be a visit of first impressions to 
the variegated groves and serpeutine windings of that 
beautiful body of water—to the photographer it meant 
his first cruise there when the tree foliage was at its full 
and consequently an excellent time for good photo work, 
and to the scribe of these pages it would be a review of 
scenes and places of earlier days and to try and verify 
reports concerning a strange colony of beavers that was 
reported to have taken up their residence there. 
With our teams placed in good care, and the party 
all well seated in the gondola, we glided down to the 
first beaver house where the photographer had taken his 
first photo view of the colony, the previous December, 
and therefore a winter scene. (See illustration facing 
page 66.) The photographer had taken the 
picture unconscious of the fact that the upright pole on 
the left marked the presence of the trap. There was 
no escape for the poor beavers after all—turn what way 
they may, and their Marco Polo’s enthusiasm was but 
the eminations of a pleasant dream that was rudely 
shattered in the awakening. The trapping had been 
done by a brace of Minnesota outlaws—so we had been 
informed—who, upon leaving the neighborhood had 
admitted killing one of the beaver family. However, 
the house was vacated, and since that time is but a 
wayside resort for skunks and weasels. 
Passing the abandoned house we came now and then 
