Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-11-16

beaver dams stopped the run OF spawn
ing fish and that where there were
many beavers there were always few
fish. Maybe he reasoned as to why
fish hunting was poor and he went
hungry. So, unable to cope slngly WIN
whole tribes of his enemies, he worked
to destroy their dams. How this, IN
turn, destroyed the beavers will be
seen in the feud in which nature had
already schemed that he should play
a part with Kazan and Gray Wolf.
A dozen times during this night
Broken Tooth halted to investigate the
food supplies along the banks. But In
the two or three places where he found
plenty of the bark on which they liv-
ed it would have been difficult to have
constructed a dam. His wonderful en-
cheering instincts rose even above
food instincts. And when each time he
moved onward, no beaver questioned
his judgment by remaining behind. In
the early dawn they crossed the burn
and came to the edge of the swamp do
main Of Kazan and Gray Wolf. by
right of discovery and possession that
swamp belonged to the dog and the
wolf. In every part of it they had left
their mark of ownership. But Broken
Tooth was creature of the water and
the scent of his tribe was not keen He
led on, travelling more slowly when
they entered the timber. Just below
the windfall home of Kazan and Gray
Wolf he halted, and clambering ashore
balanced himself upr:g ht on his web
bed hindfeet and broad four pound
tail. Here he had found ideal condi-
tions. A dam could be constructed
easily across the narrow stream, and
the water could be made to flood a big
supply of poplar, birch, willow and
alder Also the place was sheltered
by heavy timber, so that the winters
would be warm. Broken Tooth quickly
gave his followers to understand that
this was to be their new home. On
both sides Of the stream they swarm
ed into the nearby timber. The babies
began at once to nibble hungrily at the
tender bark of willow and alder. The
older ones every one of them now a
working engineer, investigated excited
ly, breakfasting by nibbling on
mouthful of bark now and then.
That day the work of home building
began. Broken Tooth himself selected
big birch that leaned over the stream
and began the work of cutting through
the ten inch butt with his three long
teeth Though the old patriarch had
lost one tooth, the three that remained
had not deteriorated with age. the
outer edge Of them was formed OF the
hardest enamel; the inner side was OF
soft ivory They we're like the finest
steel chlsels, the enamel never wear
ing away and the softer ivory replac-
ing itself year by year as It was con-
sumed. Sitting on his hindlegs, with
his forepaws resting against the tree
and with his heavy tail giving him q
firm balance, Broken Tooth began
gnawing a narrow ring entirely around
the tree. He worked tirelessly for sew
eral hours, and when at last he stop
ped to rest another workman took up
the task Meanwhile a dozen beavers
were hard at work cutting timber.
Long before Broken Tooth's tree was
ready to fall across the stream, a small
| Ter poplar crashed into the water. The
! cutting on the big birch was IN the
shape of an hour glass. In twenty
hours it fell straight across the creek.
While the beaver prefers to do most
of his work at night he is day labor
er as well, and Broken Tooth gave his
tribe but little rest during the days
! that followed. With almost human in
telligence the little engineers kept at
their task. Smaller trees were felled,
and these were cut into four Or five
foot lengths. One by one these lengths
were rolled to the stream, the beavers
pushing them with their heads ana
torepaws, and by means of brush and
small limbs they were fastened secure
lv against the birch. When the frame.
work was completed the wonderful
cement construction was begun. In this
the beavers were the masters Of men.
Dynamite was the only force that
could hereafter break up what they
were building now Under their cup
like chins the beavers brought from
the banks bixture of mud and fine
twigs carry from half pound to a
pound at a load and began filling up
the framework with it. Their task
seemed tremendous, and vet Broken
Tooths engineers could carry a ton of
this mud and twig mixture during a
day and night In three days the
water was beginning to back, until I.
rose about the butts Of dozen or
more trees and was flooding a small
area of brush. This made work easier.
From now on materials could he c"t In
the water and easily floated While a
part of the beaver colony was taking
advantage of the water, others were
telling trees end to end with the birch,