THE LIFE OF A BEAVER COLONY 125 
though done by a body of skilful artisans under the 
instruction of a trained foreman who in tum 
receives his orders from a competent engineer. 
The first thing to do after making the path was 
to cut off the outer branches which lay on the 
ground. This alone occupied two nights. Then, 
by climbing along the leaning trunks, all the larger 
branches were neatly bitten off so that the trunks, 
relieved of their support, came gradually to earth 
and were divided into lengths varying according to 
the diameter ; nothing over eight inches through 
being carried away. But even the thickest parts of 
the trunk that had to be left were not wasted, for 
the beaver ate all the bark which was suitable for 
food. It was noticeable that the two old beavers 
in the upper pond took no part in cutting up these 
trees. Their colony was entirely separate, and they 
must do all their own cutting. In other words, 
poaching was not allowed. In about ten days, 
nothing remained of the two tall trees but the 
stumps, two lengths of partly peeled trunks and a 
mass of large and small chips that were beaten into 
the well-trampled ground, these and the scarred 
pathway to the water, and the greatly-augmented 
wood-pile. 
From that time up to the freezing of the pond 
the usual preparations for cold weather were carried 
on, so that when the pond froze and the country 
received its winter winding-sheet everything was 
in readiness. The lodges had been plastered, 
