he liked, when he had eaten, to rest a while 
in some sunny spot only one step from the 
sheltering water; he liked, when he had sunned 
himself a while, to play a little longer in the 
woods or in the sun-warmed water of the 
pond; he liked, too, to swim in that pond by 
moonlight. With play, with fine food, and 
with abundant sleep, O-Go, Ilg, and Ela were 
having a wonderful summer. 
Most of the play was without any real ad¬ 
venture, but once O-Go had a really terrifying 
experience. The game that warm August even¬ 
ing was a combination of tag and hide-and- 
seek, and the little beavers had a great deal 
of fun out of it; now hiding behind a clump 
of willows; now darting out, to chase or be 
chased by a playmate. It was while he was 
resting for a moment in concealment that O-Go 
noticed, what he took to be an older beaver, 
watching him closely. 
O-Go did not mind being watched at his 
play, and therefore paid but little attention to 
the matter. He turned to keep an eye upon 
Ilg who was hunting for his brother. But Ilg 
started off in a wrong direction, and O-Go 
again glanced carelessly towards the watcher, 
noticing that the stranger was perceptibly 
closer. 
This seemed peculiar to O-Go, for there 
was no current in that place, and the stranger 
96 
