CHAPTER I 
THE BEAVERS OF NORTH AMERICA. THEIR HABITS 
OF LIFE AND THEIR WONDERFUL ENGINEERING 
FEATS 
In a quiet pond, far away in the wilds of Canada, 
a small, dark object appeared silently and without 
disturbing the serenity of the placid waters. A 
few minutes later, the small object moved slowly 
along, and lengthening quivering lines made the 
inverted images of the opposite trees tremble in the 
reflected sunset so that the dark greens of the firs 
and rich reds and yellows of the birches and maples 
danced together in the ripples. The dark object 
was a beaver and he was filled with the fear of man, 
inherited through a long line of ancestors who had 
striven to outwit those that sought their destruc- 
tion. This survivor of a much persecuted race had 
sought the far away country with the hope of being 
able to live with his family unmolested by the 
constant dread of the steel trap. Unlimited care 
and constant watchfulness were the price he must 
be always ready to pay for his safety. And even 
so the chances were entirely against him. 
Not until the sun had set, and the sky was 
lighted by the glorious afterglow, had he ventured 
