THE LIFE OF A BEAVER COLONY 119 
homes for themselves. One went off alone to see 
the world, and as he never returned it is likely that 
he either found a mate who, like himself, was a 
wanderer, or else he joined another colony. For- 
tune was kind to his two sisters, who for the 
moment wished to remain in the vicinity of the 
parental pond. A small family which had its 
home a couple of miles further down the stream 
had met with disaster. Fire, that most terrible of 
all foes, had carved its deadly way around their 
pond, leaving a charred and blackened mass where 
all had been so green and alive. Their food supply 
gone, they had been forced to abandon the house 
which had sheltered them for two happy years. 
One road was as good as another, and it happened 
that they came along the stream on which our 
beaver lived. While journeying along, they came 
to some of the little mud-pat signals made by our 
beaver. What those silent signals told them no 
man knows, but they came on with renewed hope, 
and one day arrived at the pond we have been 
watching. There were four of them, an old pair 
and two young males, their children. Their 
presence was soon known to the resident colony, 
but there was not much in the way of introduc- 
tions. Sufficient for them that they were accepted 
as friends, and allowed to remain for the present at 
least. As might naturally have been expected, 
the two young males decided to take unto them- 
selves the two young females as wives, and one of 
