he
upper ones. But before that, as soon as the lower logs are in their
places, the animals go and fetch long grass and clay, which they load
upon their flat tails, and drag to the dam, filling up the holes between
the timber till it is as strong as a wall, and the water is completely
stopped."

"Yes," said Martin; "I have heard them at night working away so hard and
flapping and spattering with their tails, that I could imagine there
were fifty men at work instead of a hundred of these small animals, but
they work by day and by night, and never seem tired, till the dam is
sound and their work is complete."

"But the raising of the dam is only preparatory, is it not, to their
building their own houses?" observed Mrs. Campbell.

"Nothing more, ma'am; and I think the rest of the work is quite as
wonderful."

"But it is time to go to bed," observed Mr. Campbell, "and we must,
therefore, leave the remainder of Malachi's story till another evening."

"I am sure that there is not one of the party who is more anxious to
hear it than I am," replied Mrs. Campbell, rising, "but as you say, it
is past ten o'clock, and Malachi and the Strawberry have to go home, so
good-night."

"Oh, dear! what a pity!" cried Percival, "I shall dream of beavers all
night, I'm sure I shall."

CHAPTER XXIII.

For two or three days, Mr. Campbell was very busy making out an
inventory of the articles which he required. His funds at Quebec were
rather low, but the communication which his agent had made to him of Mr.
D. Campbell's intention of paying for the green-house and hot-house
plants, made him feel very easy on that score; and he now determined to
procure a small flock of sheep, and one or two of the Canadian ponies
or galloways, as they would soon be required for the farm, as well as
two carts or light wagons used in the country. In the meantime, Alfred,
Martin, and Henry were very busy putting the seed in between the stumps
of the felled timber, merely hoeing up the earth and raking it in, which
was all that was required. The quantity of land cleared was about twelve
acres, half of which was sowed with oats, and the other with wheat; the
piece cleared on the other side of the stream by Malachi Bone, and
railed in, was sown with maize, or Indian corn. As soon as the seed was
in, they all set to putting up a high fence round the cleared land,
which was done with split rails made from the white cedar, which grew in
a swamp about ha