thought, and stretched their cramped legs.

"I swan!" exclaimed the woodsman with fervour. "If that ain't the
slickest bit o' work I ever seen! Let's go over and kind of inspect
the job fer 'em!"

Inspection revealed that the spot which had just been mended was the
solidest portion of the whole structure. Wherever else the water might
be allowed to escape, it was plain the beavers intended it should have
no more outlet here.

From the mended dam the Boy now led Jabe away up-stream in haste, in
the hope of catching some beavers at work on the new dam in the
alders. Having skirted the long pond at a distance, to avoid giving
alarm, the travellers went with the utmost caution till they reached
the swampy level. Then, indifferent to the oozy, chilly mud, they
crept forward like minks stealing on their prey; and at last, gaining
the fir thicket without mishap, they lay prone on the dry needles to
rest.

As they lay, a sound of busy splashing came to their ears, which
promptly made them forget their fatigue. Shifting themselves very
slowly and with utter silence, they found that the place of ambush
had been most skilfully chosen. In perfect hiding themselves,
they commanded a clear and near view of the new dam and all its
approaches.

There were two beavers visible, paddling busily on the foundations
of the dam, while the overflowing water streamed about them,
covering their feet. At this stage, most of the water flowed
through the still uncompacted structure, leaving work on the top
unimpeded. The two beavers were dragging into place a long birch
sapling, perhaps eleven feet in length, with a thick, bushy top.
When laid to the satisfaction of the architects,--the butt, of course,
pointing straight up-stream,--the trunk was jammed firmly down
between those already placed. Then the more erect and unmanageable of
the branches were gnawed off and in some way--which the observers
with all their watchfulness could not make out--wattled down among
the other branches so as to make a woven and coherent mass. The
earth and sod and small stones which were afterwards brought and
laid upon the structure did not seem necessary to hold it in place,
but rather for the stoppage of the interstices.

While this was going on at the dam, a rustling of branches and
splashing of water turned the watchers' attention up-stream. Another
beaver came in sight, and then another, each partly floating and
partly dragging a straight sapling like t