ALONG FOUR-FOOTED TRAILS 



But before they went into this winter resi- 

 dence and beaver luxury there was many a busy 

 night's work to accomplish for even beavers, 

 like all other animals including man, must work 

 or in some way compensate for the luxuries 

 they receive. 



On the opposite shore where the bank was 

 high they dug a long burrow starting under 

 water and digging back and up into the bank 

 for ten or twelve feet terminating it under the 

 roots of an old cottonwood tree. This burrow 

 they would use as a home in summer and for a 

 place of refuge in winter should their lodge be 

 broken into or otherwise meet with accident. 

 The last hard task before the icy gates closed 

 them within these walls and one which kept them 

 busy for some time was laying in the supply of 

 wood the bark of which was to serve for food 

 during the long winter months. Then all the 

 beaver needs to do when he feels hungry is to 

 crawl down the subaqueous passage to the 

 store-house in his watery yard, select the stick 

 that best suits his fancy, carry it through the 

 hall made for that purpose and sit in his lodge 

 and feast. As the bark is peeled from the tim- 

 ['74] 



