In some manner, the message was spread 
that the work of collection and storage was 
to begin on a certain evening. Therefore, that 
evening found every beaver in the slashing, 
and ready to start work. They worked, as al¬ 
ways, in silence; yet there was perfect har¬ 
mony, and the work was so divided as to be 
best accomplished, although no one beaver 
seemed to hold any authority over the others. 
Half a dozen pairs, usually mate and mate, 
were engaged in the felling of poplars, the trees 
chosen ranging in thickness from four to ten 
inches. As a rule, the cutting was done mostly 
from one side, that side being the one nearest 
to the water. Sometimes, however, the labor 
was so planned as to drop the tree parallel to 
the shore-line. At this task, the beavers stood 
almost upright, and their broad, flat tails, 
touching the ground, made them appear to be 
sitting upon stools. 
The cutting was almost continuously car¬ 
ried on during the earlier part of the night, 
one beaver working steadily for about twenty 
minutes, and then stepping aside to allow his 
partner or mate to carry on in his place. Occa¬ 
sionally, the beaver who was resting would 
step up to the tree, and would cut for a minute 
or two at the point directly opposite that on 
which the other was working. They seemed 
to have a very definite idea as to how much of 
107 
