THE LIFE OF A BEAVER COLONY 85 
caution to the winds and travelled by day, 
frequently finding fresher and fresher mud pats, 
until at last he overtook the maker of them. They 
met at night and beyond rubbing noses there was 
no formal introduction. They were both lonely 
and what more natural than that they should join 
forces to start out in life and travel together? The 
sealing of the life compact, which is seldom if ever 
broken by the beavers, was done without fuss or 
ceremony and was witnessed only by the moonlit 
trees, 
The next question was where they should go? 
Not back to the deserted pond, for even though it 
would have meant a great saving of work, the fact 
that it was known to men made it a dangerous 
place to live. Far better would it be to find some 
quiet stream which was free from all taint of their 
persistent enemy. The whole of Northern Canada 
lay before them, but they were slow travellers, 
their short legs prevented long marches. They 
dared not go far by land, it would be too dangerous, 
as they had no means of defence, and could not 
escape by running away from even the slowest of 
their enemies. In the water alone had they any 
chance of safety. There they were in their element, 
and nothing could touch them save the “ fire stick ” 
which belched forth its tiny, deadly missiles, and 
killed at such great distances. And so they 
followed the stream until it brought them to a large 
lake. For some weeks they stayed there, roaming 
