Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-04-23
Besieged.

tried to trap beaver Ii was in October of
that wear that met with the following ad-
venture:
had been looking forward to a jaunt for
beaver all summer The fall before, while
trapping mink. on what was called Wild
Stream, had discovered little lake, deep
back in the woods, with beaver dam at
the outlet which ran down thickly-wooded
hollow.
1t was late one bitter, cloudy afternoon
when found the lake. | had six miles 10
go to get to my camp, and merely had time
to notice that there were two beaver houses
a hundred yards OF so above the dam. That
night it began to snow, and | went home
without revisiting the place that fall.
But had kept the locality well in mind,
and as soon as the crops were harvested, |
set off with my traps up Wild Stream, de
termined to have those beaver.
Following up the hollow about four OF
five miles, | built camp about two miles
below the outlet of the lake; not daring to
build it nearer. for fear the smell of my fire
might reach the beaver. There | passed
the night, and about ten o'clock next fore
noon went up to the dam with my traps
1t was nice little lake, surrounded with
black growth. and right across the outlet
the beaver had run as pretty dam as ever
hunters set eyes on. 1t was ''crowning up
stream. and a few rods above it were three
huts, which stood up out of the slack water
as large as good-sized haycocks.
| concluded there might be from fifteen
to twenty beaver there for they generally
live in families of from four to ten. And
besides the three perfect houses, there was
fourth, which at first took for an un-
finished house. But on going around TO
the other side, it looked to me more like
hut that had been broken into; for there
was ragged hole in the top OF il as large
as bushel basket.
| looked all along the shore to see whether
there were any tracks either of man or crea-
ture, but discovered nothing except some
scratches on an old log that lay partly in the
water These scratches, however, were
evidently the marks of claws.
There were no beavers in sight, for 1t is
rare that they show themselves, either
ashore or swimming, by daylight. But |
could hear one ''slap" the water now and
then inside the houses.
/ thought that would set nv traps at
first along the bank at each end of the dam,
where II saw they had slides and Fairgrounds.
Afterwards, | would dig out canoe, 0r
make raft, and put down traps around the
houses, at the doOrways where they come
out under water.
The huts stood out ninety or one hundred
feet from the shore, where there was con-
siderable depth of water. There was a
great quantity of sticks with the bark peeled
off, floating about in the pond. These
came from some poplars little above, sew
eral of which the beavers had felled into the
pond. The bitter inside bark of the poplar
affords to the beaver its choicest food
| set my traps with ''sliding-pole
taking great deal of pains with them, so
as to get the beavers into Just water enough
to drown them. 1t was a rather nice job
and kept me busy until near four O'Clock,
and four O'Clock does not come till near
night in October.
BY the time | got back to my camp, 1T
was sunset kindled fire, and cut off a
few slices of my pork, and had just got IT
well to cooking in the spider, when heard
the most startling screech in the woods that
can well be imagined
1t sounded away up towards the lake. L
knew very well that no lynx or bear could
make such a noise as that. 1t flashed on my
mind in a moment what had broken the
beaver-house-
One is ALWAYS liable to run across Fetis
concolOr near beaver village at that sea-
son of the year. The beavers now and then
afford them a choice meal; and before the
frost seals the ponds and hardens the walls
of the huts, they stand chance of captur-
ing the intelligent creatures.
One of the old ''wood sachems" was, no
doubt, lurking about the huts, and likely
enough, had been watching me while L set
NV traps. Now he had taken my track,
and was following along after me. l had
heard old hunters tell how these creatures
would follow a man around-till dark
If had had tight camp which | could
have got into, ] should have felt better.
But had only little bough shed. And
nv gun was a cheap four-dollar fowling-
piece; good enough for partridge and small
game, though the lock was not always to be
relied upon to snap cap.
/ thought it all over-pretty fast-and
concluded that the best thing for me was to
be going.
had made my bough-shed close Deside
the brook Without stopping to even take
off my spider, caught up my gun and ran
down the bed of the brook, six or eight rods,
so as to leave no fresh tracks for the beast
to take.
may as well own tina. was scared let
/ thought the creature would likely enough
smell the pork and prowl around my camp
awhile.
| ran rapidly for the first mile or two,
then settled down into dog-trot. had
gone about a mile or a mile and a half more,
/ / should think, when i heard that same
ugly, raspy screech again, not half a mile
back.
That made my heart jump, for had be-
gun to think that had given the old fellow
( the slip If didn't run then, never fel-
low did,-over logs, rocks, and through
windfalls and brambles.
knew it was a race for life, and L ran
like fox. But in less than three minutes
| heard the animal again, and it seemed as
If he wasn't q hundred rods behind me.
. Twas hot enough with running, but that