106 
WILD AMERICANS 
they were round. One of them was as big as—nearly 
as big as our trailer, wasn’t it, Sister?” 
“Yes,” Ginger agreed. 
“Seems as though we ought to go and see them,” 
suggested Uncle Ely, and so the three started back 
to the pond. Father Blair had overheard the con' 
versation, so he went with them. 
“Probably those water houses are where the beaver 
and his family live,” Uncle Ely explained as they 
walked. “An Indian once told me that his people had 
a special name for the beaver. The name was Chief 
Gnawer, because this animal can gnaw down trees 
for food, and for building dams and houses. But let’s 
not forget to be quiet as we come near the pond.” 
“I remember about beavers,” Father spoke in a 
low tone to the group. “Used to see them when we 
were boys, remember, Ely? They made dams of their 
logs, and made houses of the smaller limbs and sticks. 
They certainly can gnaw, all right. They eat the 
bark of the trees they cut down.” 
“Why do they eat bark, Daddy?” asked Buck. “I 
didn’t know anything would eat tree bark.” 
Oh, yes. Because they like it, I suppose, and it is 
nourishing for them. They do not eat bark from just 
any tree, do they, Ely? I believe they eat only the 
