problem; he simply would not learn to answer 
signals promptly. 
Both of Ilg’s parents worked steadily at 
the task of teaching him, and in time, they 
succeeded in getting him to do somewhat bet¬ 
ter; still Ilg’s laziness and greed made him al¬ 
ways the last into the water. He was unkind 
to Ela, too, for he was continually taking from 
her the things she was given to eat. When Ilg 
did this, Ela made no protest; she let him take 
her food, and went in search of more. 
Meanwhile, in the cabin on the hilltop, 
O-Go was daily becoming stronger and more 
active. He had come to regard his new friend as 
the giver of all good things; and the ranger 
did not disappoint him, but tried in every 
way possible to please his little guest. A for¬ 
est ranger’s life is, at best, a lonely one, and 
an affectionate pet is a great help towards 
making that loneliness bearable. Therefore, 
Wallace took great pains in caring for O-Go, 
travelling long distances to secure for him the 
choicest green shoots of willow, birch and 
poplar. 
No such trees grew in the neighborhood of 
the cabin. The trees at that altitude were all 
of the evergreen type, and their bark was bit¬ 
ter, because of its strong infusion of pitch and 
of turpentine. Only in case of absolute neces¬ 
sity, would any beaver eat food of that sort. 
52 
