104 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 



the forest was broken by countless tons of moving 

 ice which bounded along in the seething water, now 

 piling up in great walls as some obstacle barred its 

 path, then breaking loose and tearing all before it. 

 The upper end of the beavers' pond was a mass of 

 broken ice brought down by the stream. For some 

 time it could not break its way through the solid 

 sheet which covered the pond. Gradually the 

 unceasing flow of water forced a passage through 

 the dam where the ice again piled up as though 

 impatient of the delay. During these days, the 

 beaver frequently came out for an airing, often going 

 into the woods in search of some fresh food. It 

 was a dangerous undertaking, for their enemies 

 were thin, hungry, and keenly alert, and the slightest 

 prospect of beaver meat gave stimulus to their 

 cunning. Several times during those first visits to 

 the woods did the beavers escape by an all too- 

 narrow margin, reaching the water only just in time 

 to miss the white fangs of their quick-footed 

 enemies. 



By the end of March all trace of the winter's 

 snow had vanished except in the darkest glades 

 where the sun did not penetrate. Gradually, the 

 first signs of spring became visible. Small green 

 shoots appeared among the dead leaves and mosses, 

 the buds on the trees began to swell and give 

 promise of foliage, and by the middle of April the 

 woods were tinged with the tenderest green of the 

 new leaves. This was the most important period 



