The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-19
HtJZAZRQGA/ZzzEAIB .AiDlG41&
y .Lll9EVNZZ7ZE Al2,ZlgcV1zzfH Zzz4T,
f lid ZEEsg ZLHl2ED AGa1g ZsH xx0lD'

cred with thick, soft, grayish under fur.
1 which in turn was overlaid with longer
I hairs OF sllstening chestnut brown,
| making coat that was thoroughly
I! waterproof as we'll as very beautiful.
| Their heads were somewhat Ike those OF
| gigantic rats, with small light brown
I eyes, little round ears covered with hair
\ and long orange colored inclsors LOOKING
4 out from between parted lips.
4 They wandered about for some time,
Y looking for a suitable location, and ex-
4 aiming several spots along the beds OF
! various little rivers, none OF which SEEM
ed to be- Just right. But at last they
found, in TIE very heart of the wilder
4 ness, place where a shallow stream
/ ran over hard stony bottom, and here
4 they set to work 1t was a very desir-
/ able situation in every respect. at one
\ side stood a large tree, so close that
LIT could probably be used as buttress
for the dam when the latter was sufll-
tsciently heightened to reach II: WINE
above the shallow the ground was low
and flat on both sides for some distance
back from the banks, so that the pond
would have plenty of room to spread OUT.
! The first year the beavers did nit try
to raise the stream more than Il ioot
above its original level. There was much
other work to be done--a house to be
IL,
6ter--and II they spent too much time on
the dam they might freeze or starve be-
fore spring few rods upstream was
a grassy point which the rising waters
had transformed into an island, and here
they built their lodge, hollow mounn
iof sticks and mud, with a small, cave
like chamber in the center. from which
two tunnels led out under the pond
''angles,' tho trappers call them. me
walls were masses of earth and wood
and stones. so thick and solid that even
Ia man with an AK would have found II
difficult to penetrate them. Only at tho
very apex Of the mound there was no
mud, nothing but tangled sticks through
which breath of fresh air FOUND us
way now and then.
The floor was only two or three inches
above the level of the water in the an
giles, and would naturally have been u
bed of mud; but they mixed little twigs
with it, and stamped ard pounded II
down till it was hard and Smooth.
think likely the beavers tail had some
thing to do with this part of the work
rs we'll ms With finishing Off the dam,
FOR lie was fond of slapplng things with
It,, and 1t was just the right-shape for
such use. In fact, fear that II 1t had
not been for the tall and for other tallS
like II, neither of the cities would ever
have been as complete as they were. With
leave the walls even and regular and
| with long grass carried In to make the
/ beds, the lodge was finished and ready.
4 And now you might have seen the
J beavers coming home ia rest after n
nights labor at telling Understanding
| across the pond toward the island. with
| only the tops of their two little heads
/ showing above the water In front OF
the lodge each tail rudder gives slap
i and a twist and they dive for the sub
/ marine door Of one of tho angles. In
another second they are swimming along
the dark, narrow tunnel, making the
water surge around them. Suddenly the
z roof OF the passage rises, and their heads
4 pop up into the air. A yard or two far
Their, and they enter the chamber Of the
lodge. with It's level floor and its low
arched roof, And there In the darkness
I, they lie down on their grass beds and
20 TO sleep. II is good to have home
OF Your own. whore you may take your
= ease when the nights work is done
Near the upper end OF the pond, where
tho hank was higher, they dug a long
burrow, running back ten or fifteen feet
to the ground. This was to be tho last
resort IT, by any possibiity the lodge
should ever be invaded, 1t was II weary
task digging that burrow. for It's mouth
was deep under the water, and every
few minutes they had 10 stop work and
come 10 the surface for breath. Night
after night they scooped md shoNelIed
rushing the job as fast as they knew
how, but making pretty slow progress
In spite OF all their efforts 1t vas done
AT last, however. and they felt easier
In their minds when they knew that II
Was ready for use M case OF necessity
iIfrom lis month in The depths Of the
Il pond 1t sloped gradually upward TO a
dry chamber under the roots ri a large
birch; and here. where a few tlny holes
were not likely to be noticed from the
4 outside, two or threo small openings
xnost hidden by tie moss and dead
/ leaves, let IN the air and an occasional
ray nf light. The big tree made solid
lroof overhead and the chamber was large