was trying to dislodge the entire ice covering of 

 the lake; and indeed that very nearly happened. 



Before the crisis came, I went to the lake, believ- 

 ing it to be the best place to witness the full effects 

 of this most enthusiastic wind. Across the ice 

 the gale boomed, roaring in the restraining forest 

 beyond. These broken rushes set the ice vibrat- 

 ing and the water rolling and swelling beneath. 

 During one of these blasts the swelling water 

 burst the ice explosively upward in a fractured 

 ridge entirely across the lake. In the next few 

 minutes the entire surface broke up, and the wind 

 began to drive the cakes upon the windward 

 shore. 



A large flatboat cake was swept against the 

 beaver house, sheared it off on the water-line, 

 and overturned the conelike top into the lake. 

 The beaver took refuge in the tunnel which ran 

 beneath the lake-bottom. This proved a death- 

 trap, for its shore end above the water-line was 

 clogged with ice. As the lake had swelled and 

 surged beneath the beating of the wind, the water 

 had gushed out and streamed back into the tunnel 

 again and again, until ice formed in and closed 



185 



