CHAPTER XVI. 
Mounp Buripers AnD THE BEAVERS—TRAPPER AND 
His Consctence—Tuer DesCuampes Fam1ty— 
Laws For Protection oF BEAVERS—SoME 
DIVINE PENALTIES FOR T'RANSGRESSION. 
HE appeal for the protection of the few remain ng 
beavers in the; Western States and Territories 
came none too soon. The lessening in the destruction 
of these animals from the days of the big fur compan- 
ies, the voyager and the wild Indian, was only because 
there were fewer to destroy. The arc of compression 
of the human leming was complete as far as the bea- 
vers were concerned. Nothing in the older States of 
the middle West or of those to the east of them, was 
left to tell of their prior existence there save the name 
of rivulet, creek or river that borethe name by which 
they were known—beaver. These streams so named 
had betokened their residence there. In the days of 
the Mound Builder the beavers must have been taken at 
their true worth as their mighty mounds in beaver effigy 
shows. With these people the beavers received respect- 
ful worship for their weather-wise forecasts to which the 
Mound Builders undoubtedly gave heed. For this the 
sagacious animals remained undisturbed, and went on 
with their good and unselfish work and the multiplica- 
tion of its kind. 
In these modern days the greatest admirers of the 
beavers are those who know them best. Until within 
the last few years this knowledge was confined to the 
trapper class who had many reasons to admire the bea- 
