both its entrances. Then, in case they needed 
a refuge from any enemy, when they hap¬ 
pened to be in that neighborhood, they would 
be able to find one of those two tunnels in the 
least possible time. 
Now that the new lodge was finished, there 
was little or no work at hand, and the whole 
colony on Patou settled down to a life of 
leisure. Earlier in the season the dam had been 
given all needed repairs, and had also been 
lengthened a little, in order to increase the 
spread of water in the pond. This was done, 
because the supply of food was thereby in¬ 
creased by bringing the water close to more 
poplar and aspen trees. 
The value of having so much food close at 
hand lay in the fact that supplies must not only 
be had for the summer, but must also be stored 
for the long, cold winter. This work of stor¬ 
ing food would not be attended to until late 
September or early October. Therefore, there 
was no reason why any beaver in the colony 
need do any more work than was required 
to supply himself with food from day to day. 
For the most part, the grown beavers idled 
about, going into the slashing only when they 
wished to eat, and not bothering to carry any 
foodsticks back to the lodges. They went 
whenever they happened to be hungry, some¬ 
times making such trips in broad daylight; 
93 
