Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-11-18
CHAPTER Xxx.
A Eeud in the Wilderness.

A soft wind blowing from the south
and east brought the scent of the in
vaders to Gray VOLTS nose when they
were still half mile away. She gave
the warning to Kazan and he, too,
found the strange scent in the air
1t grew stronger as they advanced
When two hundred yards from the
windfall they heard the sudden crash
of falling tree, and stopped. For
a full minute they stood tense and
listened. Then the silence was brok-
en- by a squeaking cry. followed by
splash. Gray VOLTS alert ears fell
back and she turned her blind face
Understandings toward nazan. They
trotted ahead slowly, approaching the
windfall from behind. Not until they
had reached the top of the knoll on
which it was situated did kazan be-
gin to see the wonderful change that
had taken place during their absence.
Astounded, they stood while he star,
ed. There was no longer a little
creek below them. Where 1t had been
was pond that reached almost to
the foot of the knoll. 1t was fully a
hundred feet in width and the back
water had flooded the trees and bush
for Ave or six times that distance TO-
ward the burn. They had come up
quietly and Broken Tooth's dull.
scented workers were unaware OF
their presence. Not fifty feet away
Broken Tooth himself was gnaWlng
at the butt of tree. An equal dis.
lance to the right of him four or f1ve
OF the baby beavers were at play
building a miniature dam Of mud and
tiny twigs. On the opposite side OF
the pond was steep bank six OF
seven feet high, and here few OF the
older children-two years old, but sun
not workmen-were having great run
climbing the bank and using 1t as
toboggan slide. 1t was their splashlng
that Kazan and Gray Wolf mad nearo.
In a dozen different places the older
beavers were at work.
A few weeks before Kazan had LOOK,
ed upon q similar scene when ne hao
returned into the north from Broken
Tooth,s old home. 1t had not interest
ed him then. But quick and thrlilltls
change swept through him now Inc
beavers had ceased to be mere water
animals UNBEATABLE and with an odor
u mat displeased him. They were in
vaders-and enemies. His fangs barred
silently. His crest stiffened like the
hair Of a brush, and the muscles or
hfs forelegs and shoulders stood out
jiLa whipcords. Not sound came
from him as he rushed down upon
Broken Tooth. The old beaver was
ohliyious OF danger until Kazan was
within twenty feet Of him. Naturally
slow OF movement on land, he stood
for an instant stupef1ed. Then ne
swung down from the tree as kazan
1eaped upon him. Over and over they
rolled to the edge of the bank, carried
on bv the dogs momentum. In an
other moment the thick heavy body
of the beaver had slipped like oil from
under Kazan and Broken Tooth was
safe In his element, two holes bitten
clean through his fleshy tail. Batfled
In his effort to get death-hold on
Broken Tooth Kazan swung like
fash to the right. The young beav:
ers had not moved Astonished and
frightened at what they had seen,
thew stood as if stupefied. Not until
thew saw Kazan tearing toward them
did thew awaken to action. Three OF
them reached the water. The fourth
and ffth-baby beavers not more IMAM
three months old-were too late.
with a single snap of his jaw Kazan
broke the back Of one. The other ne
pinned down by the throat and shook
as a terrier shakes rat. When
Gray Wolf trotted down to him both
Of the little beavers were dead. She
shifted at their soft little bodies and
whined. Perhaps the baby creatures
reminded her Of runaway Ba-ree. her
own baby, for there was a note OF
longing Ia hsS whine as she nosed