SWIMMERS CONCLUDED 



when the water is very high, and when the 

 stream has finally withdrawn again to its channel 

 a space is left beneath the ice high enough at 

 times for a man to stand erect in ; and here the 

 muskrats have room to wander about as they 

 please, until it settles of its own weight, and even 

 then the inequahties of the river-bed usually 

 leave them room enough. These open ways 

 beneath the ice are of much more frequent oc- 

 currence on the little brooks, less than a foot 

 across, that flow into the larger ones here and 

 there, and up these the muskrats occasionally 

 travel, sometimes even to the open springs at 

 their sources, but not nearly as often as might 

 be expected ; for there is always plenty of food 

 to be had along these brooks, and room enough 

 to move about in. But they form the regular 

 runways of the minks in winter, which would 

 naturally deter the muskrats to a certain extent ; 

 for at this season minks are almost their only 

 enemies, and to meet one alone in this narrow 



167 



