-hating enemies travel and tear open
these nests and devour those that have not deep enough burrowings in
which to hide themselves away. Of course, as soon as open water comes
they are safe, as they are thoroughly amphibious animals."

The boys were each armed with long, lancelike spears, while the Indians
had in addition to these some axes and guns. At the first nest the boys
found that the wild cats and wolverines had been there before them and
had cleared out every muskrat. However, as under the guidance of the
Indians they pushed out further on the ice, they found many nests or
little houses undisturbed. A few blows with the axes knocked the house
to pieces, and then there was quick work in spearing the almost helpless
animals. In the houses near the channel of the stream, or where there
was deep water, very often the clever muskrats had a channel dug from
their little straw houses to the water. These "runs," as they are
called, serve as a line of retreat whenever their home is attacked. In
other places the muskrats contented themselves with merely having a
well-like place under their little houses. While some of them were deep
enough to save them from the wild cats or wolverines, they were not
sufficient to save them from the spears of our boys and Indians. It
seemed at first cruel to thus stab the helpless animals, but their flesh
was food for the natives, and their furs were sold to the traders for
things essential to the Indians' comfort. So numerous were the nests in
this extensive morass that there was work enough for the hunters for
days. The boys, however, soon became tired of killing the poor
muskrats, and so only remained at the work with the Indians for the one
forenoon. After that they left their long spears at the camp, and
taking a dog or two with them, and their guns, had some good sport among
the partridges, which were fairly numerous.

The second morning the boys were aroused very early by a couple of the
Indians who had been on the watch during the night guarding the now
large pile of muskrats and skins. Paulette and Mustagan were too clever
to let their game be stolen from them, as were some beavers earlier in
the winter from other hunters, as we have described elsewhere.

"Get ready soon, and get your guns and come with us, and we will show
you something that will please you."

It did not take them long to respond, and so they were soon on the trail
with Mr Ross, while the two old