at it
secretes from certain glands a peculiar odoriferous substance called
"castoreum," or "bark-stone" by the trappers. So strangely are the
beavers attracted by this substance, that sniffing it up with their
nostrils, they will hurry towards it to enjoy the scent. It is
consequently the bait used by trappers. The trap is placed five or six
inches below the water, and just above it is stuck a stick dipped in
bark-stone. The unwary beaver eagerly swims up to it and is caught by
the treacherous trap below. Old beavers are, however, generally too
cunning; and it is said that on discovering a trap they will carry mud
and stones, and drop them over it until it is completely buried. Such
was the account which Uncle Denis gave us as we sat round our camp-fire
that evening. Dio had listened attentively; he merely observed--

"Dis niggar know all 'bout it."

The next morning he invited us to accompany him to the beaver pond,
saying, "You shall see what you shall see." Uncle Denis's curiosity had
been excited by Dio's mysterious remark, and he accompanied us. Dio
produced a bundle of small twigs, which he carried under his arm as we
went along. Approaching the pond he begged that we would remain
concealed while he went forward. After a little time he summoned us and
told us to sit down on the bank of the stream. I had always heard that
beavers were the most timid of creatures, and that they would disappear
on the approach of human beings, but to our surprise, immediately after
Dio had begun to throw in some of his magic twigs, a shoal of beavers
popped up from their lodges and rapidly approached, utterly regardless
of our presence. So close did they come without perceiving us, that we
might have knocked several on the head, but it would probably have been
the signal for the disappearance of the whole of them. They appeared to
be animated with but one thought, that of carrying off the twigs dipped
in their beloved "bark-stone."

A few old fellows swam off to a distance and began to devour the twigs,
which were evidently much to their taste. Beaver-skins were at that
time of great value.

"We have here a mine of wealth, if we work it properly," observed Uncle
Denis; "probably no trappers have as yet discovered this beaver-dam, and
we must take care not to let anyone else know of it until we have
captured the inhabitants. I brought a dozen iron traps among my stores,
though I have as yet been too busy to use the