8 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 



October or even earlier, the beavers must work 

 diligently and make use of the extraordinary 

 intelligence which they have developed through 

 the thousands of years since they became as we 

 know them to-day. 



The beavers we have been watching in the little 

 far-away pond spent but a short time over their 

 afternoon tea. The time for enjoyment and ease 

 had passed, and they must get to work. The dam 

 had to be finished. The house needed its outside 

 coating of mud and there was still a large amount 

 of wood to be cut for the winter supply. Alto- 

 gether an appalling lot to be done in the short time 

 that remained before winter ; and so the little 

 animals left their partly-peeled twigs and each 

 went to do that which he considered most neces- 

 sary for the welfare of the family. The father 

 first made a careful inspection of the dam and 

 found many places which were in need of additional 

 material. This he procured from the bottom of 

 the pond, bringing up big sods of earth and partly 

 decayed grass which he carried in his hands, under 

 his chin. As these were brought to the dam he 

 pushed them into position, arranging every piece 

 so that the structure was level and fairly smooth. 

 Here and there a stick or short log was deemed 

 necessary ; some of these he found on the water's 

 edge, others on the shore. The mother beaver in 

 the meantime was busily engaged in improving the 

 house. This needed more sticks and the weak 



