University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-09-07

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and very soon every beaver in the
colony was tearing excitedly about
the pond. They swan swiftly from
shore to shore. paying no attention to
the dead-line now. Broken Tooth and
the older workmen made for the dam.
and with snarling cry the otter
plunged down among them and out
like a fash for the creek above the
pond. Swiftly the water continued to
fall and as it fell the excitement of
the beavers increased They forgot
Kazan and Gray Wolf.
Several of the younger members of
the colony drew themselves ashore ON
the windfall side of the pond, and
whining softly Kazan was about to
slip back through the willows when
one of the older beavers waddled
through the deepening mud close on
his ambush. In two leaps Kazan was
upon him, with Gray Wolf leap be-
hind him. The short fierce struggle
in the mud was seen by the other beav-
ers and they crossed swiftly to the
opposite hide of the pond The water
had receded to half of its greatest
width before Broken Tooth and his
workmen discovered the breach in the
wall of the dam: The work of repair
was begun at once. For this work
sticks and brush of considerable size
were necessary, and to reach this ma
terial the beavers were compelled to
drag their heavy bodies through the
ten or fifteen yards of soft mud left
by the falling water. Peril of fang
no longer kept them back Instinct |
told them that they were fighting for |
their existence that If the embrasure
were not filled up and the water kept
in the pond they would very soon be
completely exposed to their enemies.
1t was day of slaughter for Gray
Wolf and Kazan. They killed two
more beavers in the mud close to the
willows. Then they crossed the creek
below the dam and ;ut off three beav-
ers in the depression behind the wind
fall. There was no escape for these
three. They were torn into pieces.
Farther up the creek Kazan caught
young beaver and killed it.
Late in the afternoon the slaughter
ended. Broken Tooth and his cour-
ageous engineers had at last repaired
the breach. and the water in the pond
began to raise.
Half mile up the creek the big Of
ter was squatted on log basking in
the last glow of the setting sun. To-
morrow he would go and do over
again his work of destruction. That
was his method For him it was play.
But that strange and unseen arbiter
of the forests called O-ee-ki, tine
Spirit" by those who speak the wild
tongue, looked down at last with
mercy upon Broken Tooth and his
death-stricken tribe. For in that last
glow of sunset KaZan and Gray Wolf
slipped stealthily up the creek-to
find the otter basking half asleep on
the log.
The days work, a full stomach, and
the pool of warm sunlight in which
he lay had all combined to make the
pf flor c1aonu Ea
as the log on which he had stretched
himself. He was big and gray and
old. For ten years he had lived to
prove his cunning superior to that of
man. Vainly traps had been set for
him. Willy trappers had built narrow
of rock and tree in small
streams for him, but the old otter had
failed their cunning and escaped the
steel jaws waiting at the lower end
Of each sluice. The trail he left in
soft mud told of his size. A few trap
pers had seen him. His soft pelt
would long ago have found its way to
London, Paris or Berlin had it not
been for his cunning. He was fit
'or princess, duke or an emperor.
For ten years he had lived and es-
capped the demands of the rich.
But this was summer No trapper
would have killed him now, for his
)elt was worthless. Nature and in
'tinct both told him this. At this sea- y
son he did not dread man, for there
vas no man to dread. So he lay
asleep on the log, oblivious to every
hing but the comfort of sleep and the
warmth of the sun.
Soft-footed, searching still for signs
,f the furry enemies who had invad-
ID their domain, Kazan slipped along
he creek. Gray Wolf ran close at his
shoulder. They made no sound. and
he wind was in their favor-bringing
cents toward them. 1t brought the