Instantly, after we struck, a violent 

 commotion occurred under the bow of 

 the boat, water splashed in my face, 

 there was the sound of scratching, gnaw- 

 ing and splintering wood, then a paw 

 appeared on the gunwale beside me, the 

 boat rocked and I yelled to Bige, "He 

 is climbing aboard!!" while I lifted the 

 camera intending to brain this indis- 

 tinct shape as soon as I could see its 

 head. This was immediately followed 

 by the release of the weight on the side 

 of the boat, its rocking in the opposite 

 direction, a resounding slap on the water 

 which threw a shower of spray over my 

 head, in my eyes and ears. Then si- 

 lence. 



"Must have hit a muskrat," said 

 Bige. 



"More like a collie dog or a young 

 bear," said I. "He surely would have 

 swamped the boat if you had not slapped 

 the water with the paddle, and I would 

 have smashed my camera over his head." 



"I didn't slap anything with the pad- 

 6 



