tightly wedged between two strong saplings. 
Thus, the top of the big tree was kept 
suspended a dozen feet above the ground; and, 
since that top contained all the material of any 
use to beavers, the labor of the two friends 
was utterly wasted. Uncle Castor and Chisel- 
tooth must therefore abandon that tree and 
start on another one. 
Had the two beavers been less experienced 
in the ways of the forest, their misfortune 
might have been turned into a tragedy of a 
sort that has happened in many a slashing. 
Ignorant young beavers, for example, would 
probably have attempted to release that tree 
trunk by felling one of the two small trees. 
Such an attempt would have been a terrible 
mistake; for as soon as the pressure on it was 
released, the big tree would have fallen far 
too rapidly to permit any animal so slow-mov¬ 
ing as a beaver to escape. 
The news of Uncle Castor’s bad luck spread 
rapidly through the colony, and every beaver 
came to look at the wasted tree; but there was 
nothing to be done in the matter. That tree 
was a total loss. Therefore, each beaver sol¬ 
emnly inspected it, and then returned to his 
own task; for the new lodge was still far from 
completion. 
O-Go had worked pretty steadily for the 
past few evenings, trying every task at which 
86 
