(pioneers 



and the procuring of new material made their 

 work slow, very slow, in the face of the swiftly 

 escaping water; when the ditch was at last ob- 

 structed, a part of the material which formed this 

 new dam consisted of the traps and the dead 

 bodies of the two beaver who had bravely perished 

 while trying to save the colony. 



The ditch guard returned with a rifle, and 

 came to stay. The first beaver to come within 

 range was shot. The guard again removed the 

 dam, made a fire about twenty feet from the ditch, 

 and planned to spend the night on guard, rifle 

 in hand. Toward morning he became drowsy, 

 sat down by the fire, heard the air in the pines 

 at his back, watched the star-sown water, and 

 finally fell asleep. While he thus slept, with his 

 rifle across his lap, the beaver placed another 

 their last obstruction before the outrushing 

 water. 



On awakening, the sleeper tore out the dam 

 and stood guard over the ditch. All that after- 

 noon a number of beaver hovered about, watch- 

 ing for an opportunity to stop the water again. 

 Their opportunity never came, and three who 



181 



