University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-09-04

Broken Tooth drew his wet shining
body out of the water to the top of the
dam, and squatted fiat, facing Kazan.
The old patriarch was alone. Not
another beaver had shown himself.
The surface of the pond had now
become quiet. Vainly Kazan tried to
discover a footing that would allow
him 10 reach the watchful in
vader. But between the solid wall Of
the dam and the bank there was a
tangled framework through which the
water rushed with some violence
Three times Kazan fought to work his
way through that tangle, and three
times his efforts ended in sudden
plunges into the water. All this time
Broken Tooth did not move. When at
last KaZan gave up the attack the old
engineer slipped over the edge of the
dam and disappeared under the water.
He had learned that Kazan, like the
lynx, could not fight water and he
spread the news among the members
of his colony
Gray Wolf and Kazan returned to
the windfall and lay down in the warm
sun. Half an hour later Broken Tooth
drew himself out on the opposite shore
of the pond. He was followed by 9TH
er beavers. Across the water they re-
sumed their work as if nothing had
happened. The tree-cutters returned
to their trees. Half a dozen worked
in the water, carrying loads of ce-
ment and twigs. The middle of the
pond was their dead-line. Across this
not one of them passed. A dozen times
during the hour that followed one of
the beavers swan up to the dead-line,
and rested there. looking at the shin
ing little bodies of the babies that Ka-
zan had killed. Perhaps 1t was the
mother. and perhaps some finer in
stinct unknown to Kazan told this to |
Gray Wolf. For Gray Wolf went down
twice to sniff at the dead bodies, and |
each time-without seeing-she went |
when the mother beaver had come to
the dead-line
The first fierce animus had worn it.
self from Kazan's blood, and he now
watched the beavers closely He had
learned that they were not fighters.
They were many to one and yet they
ran from him like a lot of rabbits.
Broken Tooth had not even struck at
him, and slowly it grew upon him that
these invading creatures that used
both the water and land would have to
be hunted as he stalked the rabbit and
the partridge. Early in the afternoon
he slipped off into the bush, followed
by Gray Wolf. He had often begun the
stalking of a rabbit by moving away
from it and he employed this wolf
trick now with the beavers. Beyond
the windfall he turned and began trot-
ting up the creek, with the wind For
a quarter of a mile the creek was
deeper than it had ever been. One
of their old fOrding places was COM
pletely submerged, and at last Kazan
plunged in and swan across, leaving
Gray Wolf to wait for him on the wind
fall side of the stream.
Alone he made his way quickly in
the direction of the dam, travelling
-wo hundred yards back from the =
creek. Twenty yards below the dam
/ dense thicket of alder and willow
grew close to the creek and Kazan
ook advantage of this. He approached
within leap or two of the dam with
'ut being seen and crouched close to
he ground, ready to spring forth when
he opportunity came. Most of the
,eavers were now working in the wa
er. The four or five still on shore
we're close to the water and some dis
ance upstream. After a wait of sew
raj minutes Kazan was almost on the
oint of stalking everything on a wild
ush upon his enemies when a move
lent on the dam attracted his atten-
ion. Halfway out two or three beav-
RS were at work strengthening the
entral structure with cement. Swift
S flash Kazan darted from his COW
r to the shelter behind the dam. Here
ne water was very shallow, the main
ortion of the stream finding a pas
age close to the opposite shore. No
here did it reach to his belly as he
AIDED out. He was completely hid
en- from the beavers. and the wind
as in his favor. The noise of run
ing water drowned what little sound
e made. Soon he heard the beaver
orkmen over him. The branches Of
lie fallen birch gave him a footing.
nd he clambered up.
A moment later his head and shOul-