THE LIFE OF A BEAVER COLONY 119 



homes for themselves. One went off alone to see 

 the world, and as he never returned it is likely that 

 he either found a mate who, like himself, was a 

 wanderer, or else he joined another colony. For- 

 tune was kind to his two sisters, who for the 

 moment wished to remain in the vicinity of the 

 parental pond. A small family which had its 

 home a couple of miles further down the stream 

 had met with disaster. Fire, that most terrible of 

 all foes, had carved its deadly way around their 

 pond, leaving a charred and blackened mass where 

 all had been so green and alive. Their food supply 

 gone, they had been forced to abandon the house 

 which had sheltered them for two happy years. 

 One road was as good as another, and it happened 

 that they came along the stream on which our 

 beaver lived. While journeying along, they came 

 to some of the little mud-pat signals made by our 

 beaver. What those silent signals told them no 

 man knows, but they came on with renewed hope, 

 and one day arrived at the pond we have been 

 watching. There were four of them, an old pair 

 and two young males, their children. Their 

 presence was soon known to the resident colony, 

 but there was not much in the way of introduc- 

 tions. Sufficient for them that they were accepted 

 as friends, and allowed to remain for the present at 

 least. As might naturally have been expected, 

 the two young males decided to take unto them- 

 selves the two young females as wives, and one of 



