THE BEAVERS OF BEAVER CREEK 



surface and deep below it, with a heavy stroke, 

 causing a sound like the report of a pistol that 

 rang out on the stillness of the night and caused 

 even the heart of the brave Indian boy to quake. 

 At the same time the force of the blow upon 

 the water threw a spray several feet high and 

 the signal of alarm could be distinctly heard for 

 a half mile or more along the stream. Full 

 Moon slid down the tree trunk with stiffened 

 limbs and walked homeward. He had actually 

 spent many nights with the beavers and watched 

 them at their work. In a surprisingly short time 

 when the workers are considered the dam was 

 completed. Near the crest the wonderful struc- 

 ture was made porous so that the water could 

 filter through; thus the wise little engineers 

 were able to keep the water in their yard at a 

 uniform height. With the exception of the 

 porous strip near the top of the dam the entire 

 water front was plastered solidly with mud. The 

 beavers had completed one of the most important 

 structures for their safety. From ten to fifteen 

 feet of water is an absolute necessity for the sur- 

 roundings of a beaver's winter home. There 

 are a number of other ways in which beavers 



