him, he could assist in dragging or pushing 
sticks down the skid way; if he did not feel like 
working at all, he could play, or eat, or sleep. 
Ela worked even harder than did O-Go, but Ilg 
surpassed them both in eating and sleeping. 
For nearly five weeks, the beavers of Patou 
colony kept busily at work, putting away 
food for winter use, for they were thrifty and 
the supply of green wood was all that they 
could wish. If the winter should turn out to be 
a mild one, and the spring that followed it 
came early, there would be a large surplus of 
foodsticks left over, but that surplus would not 
be wasted. Such sticks could be used to make 
the repairs needed by both lodges and dam 
during the coming year. 
If, on the other hand, the winter should be 
a long and hard one, there would be no short¬ 
age of food in that colony. Spring would find 
its members well fed and in good condition 
116 
