ter when the pond froze over. In the bottom 

 of the pond, below the ice, there may have 

 been an abundance of the tuberous growths of 

 the pond-UIy or a supply of intruding willow 

 roots; both of these the beaver often dig out 

 even while the pond is frozen over. These bea- 

 ver in this old pond may have pieced out their 

 scanty food-supply with these roots and en- 

 dured until springtime; but I fear that at best 

 they had a close squeak. 



One brook went dry and the beaver folk on 

 it moved up-stream. They left the dam well 

 repaired, a new house, and a pile of green aspen 

 cuttings in the pond. They were ready for win- 

 ter when the water-failure forced them to find a 

 new home. They scooped out a small basin by 

 a spring in the top of a moraine, used the mate- 

 rial for a dam, and into the pond thus formed 

 dragged a few aspens and willows. A winter 

 den was dug in the bank. 



The colonists at the other low-water place 

 abandoned their home and moved three miles 

 down-stream. The tracks in the mud, a few bits 

 of fur, told too well a story of a tragedy during 



252 



