ad been working up to this consummation. Experienced men
grimly and remorselessly had pitted their long years of experience
against the instincts and cunning of a colony of beavers, and, as it
always is, in the end, man must conquer.

"What are you going to do next?" is the question of the boys. All the
answer, however, they receive, is to be patient and they will soon see
for themselves. Their interest, however, is increased when to all is
uttered the command, "Get all the guns ready, and load them heavily with
powder." With several extra charges they are all soon on their way to
the beaver house. When there they find that the water in the channel
cut in the front yesterday has ice on it fully six inches in thickness.
This will give some idea of the severity of the cold, but nobody seems
to notice it in the excitement of the hour. Very quickly is this ice
broken up and thrown out on the frozen surface of the pond.

One of the Indians has in his hand a long, stiff rod about the size of a
bamboo fish pole. This will play an important part in the capture of
the beaver, as we shall see later on. The next part of the program is
of great interest to the boys. Everybody now goes to the land side of
the beaver house, and at once there begins the greatest din and racket
it is possible for the whole party to make. The guns are all fired off,
and loaded and fired again and again. The men with their great pounders
most vigorously beat against the solid walls on the land side, as though
they would burst in upon the now terrified inhabitants. This attack and
noise continued until it is supposed that all of the frightened animals
have fled away from the house, which they must have imagined was about
being knocked to pieces about their ears. The result is the house is
deserted, and the now frightened beaver are away out somewhere in the
pond, swimming under the ice.

As soon as the Indians feel confident that all have forsaken the house
they hurry out on the pond in the front. Here in the open water, in the
space between the poles which were so solidly driven, the long slender
pole is pushed down firmly through the water into the mud at the bottom
of the pond. One of the Indians now quickly pulls off his shirt sleeve,
as well as that of his coat, and throws himself down on the ice close to
the open channel which has been described. His comrade quickly throws a
warm blanket over him to at least partly protect him from