The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-04-23
BAREE, Son Of Kazan


fully as heavy, and almost as wide as
he was long. Nature can produce no
four-footed creature that is more low
able than baby beaver, unless it is
baby bear; and Umisk would have
taken first prize at any beaver baby
show in the world. His three com.
paniOns were a bit smaller. They
came waddling from behind low will
low, making queer little chuckling
noises, their little fiat tails dragging
like tiny sledges behind them. They
were fat and furry, and mighty friend
~ looking to BARGE, and his heart beat
sudden, swift pit-a-pat of JOY.
But Baree did not move. He scarce
ly breathed. And then, suddenly,
Umisk turned on one of his playmates
and bowled him over. Instantly the
other two were on Umisk, and the four
little beavers rolled over and over.
kicking with their short feet and spat-
ting with their tails, and all the time
emitting soft little sQueaking cries.
BARGE knew that it was not fight, but
frolic. He rose up on his feet. He
forgot where he was-forg0t every
thing in the world but those play
ing, furry balls. For the moment
all the hard training nature had
been giving him was lost. He was
no longer fighter, no longer hunter,
no longer a seeker after food. He was
a puppy, and in him there rose "a de-
sire that was greater than hunger.
He wanted to go down there with
Umisk and his little chums and roll
and play. He wanted to tell them, If
such thing were possible, that he
had lost his mother and his home, and
that he had been having a mighty hard
time of it, and that he would like to
stay with them and their mothers and
fathers if they didn't care.
In his throat there came the least
bit of whine. 1t was so low that
Umisk and ,his playmates did not hear
it. They were tremendously busy.
Softly Baree took his first step to-
ward them, and then another-and at
last he stood on the narrow strip of
shore within half dozen feet of them.
His sharp little ears were pitched for
ward. and he was wiggling his tail as
fast as he could. and every muscle in
his body was trembling in anticipation.
1t was then that Umisk saw him, and
his fat little body became suddenly as
motionless as Il stone
Hello" said BARGE, wiggling his
whole body and talking as plainly as
human tongue coald talk. do you
care if play with you?"
Umisk made no response. His three
playmates now mad their eyes on Ba-
ree They didn't make a move. They
looked stunned. Four pairs of staring,
wondering eyes were fixed on the
stranger.
Baree made another effort. He
groveled on his forelegs, while his tail
and hindlegs continued to wiggle, and
with sniff he grabbed bit of stick
between his teeth.
"Come on--let me in" he urged. II
know how to play!"
He tossed the stick in the air as If
little zap.
Umisk and his brothers were like
dummies
And then, of sudden, some one
saw Baree. 1t was big beaver swim
ming down the pond with sapling
timber for the new pond that was I'M
der way. Instantly he loosed his hold
and faced the shore. And then, like
the report of rifle, there came the
crack of his big flat tail on the water
the beavers signal of danger that on
q quiet night can be heard half mile
away
Danger" it warned. "Danger-dan-
ger-danger
Scarcely had the signal gone forth
when tails were cracking in all direc-
tions-in the pond, in the hidden ca
nails. in the thick willows and alders.
To Umisk apd his companions they
said:
Run for your lives!"
Baree stood rigid and motionless
four little beavers plunge into the pond
and disappear. He heard the sounds
of other and heavier bodies striking
the water. And then there followed a
strange and disquieting silence. Softly
Baree whined. and his whine was al
most sobbing cry. Why had Umisk
and his little mates run away from him?
A great loneliness swept over nina
loneliness greater even than that of
his first night away from his mother.
He had not found comradeship. And
his heart was very sad.