The sun., 1892-04-11
A SHREWD ANIMAL.
The beaver was Trapped. but was Too
smart to Stay Trapped.

smart to Stay Trapped
when was on Beaver Lake. in the Vel
lowstone Park. and saw the work that the in
dustrious beavers had done in telling big trees
In that vicinity. could scarcely believe that
such work could be done with teeth said
Frank Hayes Of Buffalo: but when had oc-
ular demonstration of what n beavers teeth
were capable Of doubted no longer.
"A friend Of mine in Canada who has flne
estate. through which a large creek runs. dis
covered that timber thieves were cutting down
some Of tho choicest trees in fine grove Of
cedars along tho creek. Iio set q man to
watch the grove and discover who the ma
rauders were The man reported to his en-
ployer. with eyes almost bulginE with amaze-
ment that the trees were being chopped down
by big muskrats with tails 80 heavy that tho
rats had to drag them on the ground. My
friend looked at his man as il he thought he
had never seen a beaver. but knew from tho
mans description OF what he thought were
gedsx that Issef ted be at work in the
"' Beaver. he exclaimed: why. there hasn't
been q beaver within 500 miles Of hero in
~ told him that l intended to go on guard in
the grove myself and see whether the man
right or 1,1n 4ns sbot ad @e so MD b % the
Of the water, inspect two or three trees and at
he had echsoed led wt eeth on % he
side Of the tree t next S the creek 50 nearly
sway. and finally cracking u sound at tie butt
gave notice that 1t was about to fall. At that
sound the beaver nttsrng t shrl! I'll cry plunged
shsa s its tree about to i@ SO % that any athsr
way There "a were no other beavers @ as sndsnsarD w
ed BY this falling tree but the instinct in tho
chopper was there all the same. and he utter
The II xaesHf taes fs with crash. and the beaver
feappSared h,n At 3nie S and I'D 6ssan e lop or the
with an axe could have done It. Then he be,
un 1G W no s@t
reported what / had seen. He was greatly
surnrised. rs were al the old trappcrs there
@ aaSTtcr + q q. 4 sentHSy 5 ny Ny irisnd: IN ,thinEIns
That was robbinr him Of them. gave aye "a soupio s Of
footed woodch9pper, il they could: They rs.
estate. discovered finely made beaver dam
In a culyrsrt r that carried q wagon road over the
1t two feet higher than 1t was at the outlet Of
the culvert. just above the culvert was bur
row. and the trappers. believing that it was the
They constructed q cage out Of strong wire
BY Wire slide The wires were @ ' tho siz" s"''d Of
large twine. The open end of the cage was
placed at the entrance Of the burrow in tho
bank. and while one OF the mon remained by it
70 close 1t when necessary. the other went on
top OF the bank and jumped up and down on
the roof of the burrow. This was kept up for
five minutes. and the men hai about made
up their minds that II the burgow was tho
beavers dom clio the beaver wasn't mt home:
when suddenly a mass Of hair and tneth and
claws rushod out into the cage, with f.ight;nl
screams. The cage WAS instantly closed. nm
the beaver was a cnptive. II was not tn" big
hewske! ed black fellow had seen rhopp!ng
down tho trees. but II smnller one. with II
beautiful glossy coat. The tranpcr said this
one was til. wifo Of this one saw.
while We stood OIL a few Pnces looking NJ
the agitatcd beaver in the cage she recovered
herself. and the next instant was cuttin. ths
heavy wires in two with her teeth n nnsly
and doftly as u wire worker conlt. have sew
cred them with his sharp stcc! ninpers 20
effectively did she nip tho wires. indeed. That
hefor" either of the trnpper- could ronch
the cage. near as they were to it.. she
had All opening, made large, enough to
oscapr and she did escape, aud gliding into
the stream disappeared, The chopping Of the
trees by tho beaver was surpri ing enough.
had thought. but when | saw this bravrr al
most in i twinklng cut hgr way out Of that
strong wire cage wondered no more at tho
tree chopping That experience OF the frihnlo
beaver she undoubtedly communicated - her
mate. for neither was soen again in the ere X
and the timber stealing ceased"