THE LIFE OF A BEAVER COLONY 127 



occurred, the remaining forty or fifty would have 

 made great inroads into the food supply. The old 

 dams would have to be enlarged and new ones built 

 so that a larger area might be flooded. The canals 

 would have to be extended and in every way great 

 changes would be bound to take place. 



During the month of July, when the whole 

 country was throbbing with life and activity, when 

 everything presented such a marked contrast to the 

 four sombre months of winter, the unwelcome sound 

 of man's voice broke the peacefulness of the Httle 

 pond in the woods. A fisherman, anxious to 

 explore the stream in hopes of finding a good place 

 for trout, had come down from the lake above. 

 With him was an old guide who lived, as so many 

 of them do, by guiding fishermen during the 

 summer, and big game hunters in the autumn, while 

 the winter, or at least the early part of it, is devoted 

 to trapping, the other part being often spent in 

 lumber camps. It was late in the afternoon when 

 these two intruders arrived. The beavers, lulled 

 into a dangerous security by the long period of 

 absolute God-given peace, were playing about the 

 pond, the young indulging in their games with all 

 the joy of youth and inexperience. On one of the 

 lodges lay the founders of the colony, basking in 

 the warm yellow sun, when suddenly the sound of 

 voices reached their ears, followed almost imme- 

 diately by the tainted breeze. No second warning 

 was necessary. Silently the two slid ofl* the lodge, 



