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Free from all fear of molestation, the trappers explored the region for miles around, and were very successful in taking beavers. It is estimated that the various parties of trappers, then wandering among the mountains, numbered at least six hundred men.
"While we thus stood watching the movements of our beavers, and conversing about the habits of these interesting animals, an incident occurred which very much amused us, and proved that the beavers were not the only animals whom Nature had gifted with extraordinary sagacity. "Near the middle of the lake stood a clump of tall trees their trunks immersed for two or three feet under the water.
If the nights grow suddenly cold before the wood sinks, the beavers take it down to the bottom and press it slightly into the mud; or else they push sticks under those that float against the dam, and more under these; and so on till the stream is full to the bottom, the weight of those above keeping the others down.
When instinct teaches a colony of beavers that the water is not of sufficient depth to escape freezing throughout, they provide against the evil by making such a dam as has been mentioned, across the stream, or the outlet of the lake, at a convenient distance from their habitations. The plan of these dams varies according to the character of the lake or stream.
He said the privilege, or burgher right cost beavers, each beaver reckoned at five guilders in Holland money, or twenty-five guilders in zeewan, and was prohibited to all persons who reside out of the city; and as we resided out of the city, we must be treated like others. We replied to this, we would cheerfully obey the law.
For thirty years and longer the Japs have been learning English with the industry of beavers. And ambition has been responsible for this, the dogged determination to be somebody, and the patriotic wish to see Japan stand with the progressive nations of the earth. The power to keep such a people down does not exist. Preparation is a subject never absent from the thoughts of the Japanese.
Saturday, in the morning, we dismissed the savage, and gave him a knife, a bracelet, and a ring. He promised within a night or two to come again and to bring with him some of the Masasoits, our neighbors, with such beavers' skins as they had to truck with us. Saturday and Sunday reasonable fair days. On this day came again the savage, and brought with him five other tall, proper men.
The islanders, while employed in erecting this tenement, reminded me of a colony of beavers at work. To be sure, they were hardly as silent and demure as those wonderful creatures, nor were they by any means as diligent.
The Unlucky-one knew this was the white Beaver's lodge knew that at last he had found the chief of all the Beavers in the world; so he stood still for a long time, and then sang that song. "Soon a great white Beaver white as the snows of winter came to him and asked: 'Why do you sing that song, my brother? What do you want of me? I have never heard a man sing that song before.
The men were full of enthusiasm and worked as hard as the proverbial beavers. Drills once distasteful and shirked whenever possible were gone through with alacrity and the "boy in blue" was a true soldier, every inch of him. There was war in sight. On one point at least there was an accord of opinion in rank and file the camp was well named.
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