158 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 



was after all for a good purpose, for well enough 

 they knew that unless the beaver was protected 

 it would be but a few years before they would be 

 a thing of the past, gone to join the dodo and 

 others that used to be. So they took their 

 medicine like men, but when they saw that the 

 park was being used for trapping purposes, and 

 that the skins were being sold by the Government, 

 their spirits rose in rebellion. More especially 

 when they themselves as employees of the park 

 had to take part in trapping the animals. They 

 were for the most part quite willing to forego 

 their share of beavers' skins if the beaver was 

 to be really protected, but they do not see the 

 fairness of the present situation, and the result is 

 that men who otherwise would have honestly 

 observed laws which were for the welfare of the 

 greater number are now in many instances doing 

 their best to get a share of the spoils. They do 

 not see that it is any longer a question of honour, 

 for if beaver may be killed, why should not they 

 as well as anyone else, reap the benefit ? Laws 

 relating to wild animals in a great country which 

 has so small a population and so much wild land 

 can only be of real value if they are in accordance 

 with popular opinion, but just as soon as the public 

 considers a law unfair the difficulties of enforcing 

 that law become practically insurmountable. What 

 I have written is not a matter of theory, but is the 

 result of observation and conversation with the 



