SWIMMERS CONCLUDED 



up and gripping it firmly with his fore-paws, 

 crowded it into his mouth and swallowed it faster 

 than would seem possible for an animal of his 

 size. 



A song sparrow came hopping along the bank 

 towards him, and I wondered if it would try to 

 catch it ; but the sparrow evidently did not re- 

 gard him as a dangerous enemy, for it hopped 

 fearlessly to within a foot of him, whereupon 

 the musquash, having finished the tenderest 

 portion of his flag, entered the water and paddled 

 over to an old stump that stood a few yards 

 from the bank, where he began nibbling at the 

 willow shoots and young hardback that grew 

 there, but not finding it quite to his taste, came 

 back and, climbing up the steep bank to the foot 

 of. a cluster of young pines, fell to browsing on 

 the leaves of wild rose-bushes and sweet-briers. 

 He stood upon his hind-feet, bracing himself with 

 his tail, and with his hand-like fore-paws passed 

 the branch rapidly before his mouth, biting off 



187 



