Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-18

and brush of considerable size were
necessary, and to reach this material the
beavers were compelled to drag their
heavy bodies through the 10 or 10 yards
of soft mud left by the falling water
Peril of fang no longer kept them pack'
Instinct told them that they were hsht-
ing or their existence-that II the EN-
brasure we're not filled up and the water
kept in the pond they would very soon
be completely exposed to their enemies.
II was a day OF slaughter for Gray Wolt
and Kazan. They killed two more beavers
in the mud close to the willows. lheii
thew crossed the creak below the dam and
cut off three beavers In the depression
behind the windfall. There was no escape
for these three. They were torn INTO
pieces, Farther up the creek hazan
caught n young beaver and killed it.
Late in the afternoon the slaughter
ended. Broken Tooth and his courage
Gus engineers had at last repaired the
breach, and the water in the pond began
to rise. -
Half a mile up the creek the big otter
was squatted on a log basking In the last
glow of the setting sun. Tomorrow he
would 90 and do over again his work
of destruction. That was his methoa'
For him 1t was play.
But that strange and unseen arDlter OF
the forests called O-ee-ki. the spirit
by those who speak the wild tongue
looked down at last with mercy upon
Broken Tooth and his death-strlcken
tribe, For in that last glow or sunset
Kazan and Gray Wolf slipped stealthily
up the creek-to find the otter baskins
half asleep on the log.
The days work. full stomach, and the
pool of warm sunlight In when ne lay
had all combined to make the otter
sleepy. He was as motionless as the log
on which he had stretched himsef. lie
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 sluiGe-ways OF rock
and tree in small streams for him. but
the old otter had foiled their cunning
and escaped the steel jaws waiting az
the lower end of each sluice. The trail
he left in soft mud told or his size
few trappers had seen him. His SOFT
melt would long ago have found its way
10 London. Paris or Berlin had II not
been for his cunning. He was MT Tor
princess, duke or an emperor. For ten
years he had lived and escaped the ae-
mands OF the rich
Rut this was summer. No trapper
would have killed him now, for his pelt
was worthless. Nature and instinct both
told him this. At this season he did not
dread man, for there was no man 10
dread. So he lay asleep on the log.
oblivious to everything but the comfort
of sleep and the warmth Of the sun.
Soft-footed, searching still for signs OF
the furry enemies who had invaded their
domain, Kazan slipped along the creek.
Gray Wolf ran close at his shoulder.
They made no sound, and the wind was
in their fayor-bringing scents toward
them. 1t brought the otter smell To
Kazan and Gray Wolf 1t was the scent
Of a water animal, rank and tishy, and
they took il for the beaver. They ad-
vanced still more cautiously Iheh
Kazan saw the big otter asleep on the
log and he gave the warning TO gray
Wolf She stopped standing with her
head thrown up while Kazan made MS
stealthy advance. The otter stirred un-
easily 1t was growing dusk. The golden
pool Of sunlight had faded away Back
In the darkenlng timber an Owl greeted
night with it's first low call.
The otter breathed deeply. His whis-
kered muzzle twitched. He was awak-
ening-stirring-w Kazan leaped upon
him. Face TO face, in fair fight the olo
otter could have given good account
OF himself. But there was no chance
now. The wild itself had for the ntst
time in his life become his deadiiest
enemy. 1t was not man now-pnt
O-ee-ki. "the Spirit" that had laid its
hand upon him. And from the spirit
there was no escape. Kazan's fangs sank
into his soft iugular. Perhaps ne aiea
without knowing what 1t was that mao
leaped upon him. For he died quickly,
and Kazan and Grey Wolf Went on their
way. hunting still for enemies 10 slaush-
ter. and not knowing that In the otter
they had killed the one ally VINO Woula
nave driven the beavers from their swamp
home. ,,,a
Phe days that followed grew more ana
more hopeless for Kazan and Gray won,
| With the otter gone Broken footh anu
his tribe held the winning hand. Eaeh
day the water backed q little tarther
into the depression surrounding the
windfall BY the middle OF Juiy oniy =
narrow strip Of land connected the Wna-
Ssll with the dry land OF the swamp. IN
deep water the beavers now worked uh-
moIested. Inch by inch the water rose,
nntIl there came the day when II began
10 overflow the connecting stTlp, Up, For nsnS snS
S.or, Their windfall home and Travelled
nm fhe stream between the t~o fiases.
The. creek held mes Ineanlnf IL 49, -.
"a. a. snd = thsg tieyslsd thsy smiled IL