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Updated: June 6, 2025
Every one of those old outlaws who haunt our New England ponds and marshes, water-soaked and soakers of something else, intimate with the pure fluid in that familiarity which breeds contempt, has yet a wholesome side when you explore his knowledge of frost and freshet, pickerel and musk-rat, and is exceedingly good company while you can keep him beyond scent of the tavern.
It is possible that the musk-rat of Siberia, as well as several species of water-rats belonging to South America and known vaguely by the name of Lutras and Nutrias may be animals of the beaver kind, rather than Water-Rats or Otters, among which they are generally classed.
He plunged, and, after remaining a day and night beneath the surface, reappeared, floating on his back beside the raft, apparently dead, and with all his paws fast closed. On opening them, the other animals found in one of them a grain of sand, and of this the Great Hare created the world. Perrot, Memoire, Chap. The musk-rat is always a conspicuous figure in Algonquin cosmogony.
"Do you believe in the musk-rat?" "I do. Is he in the trap?" "He was not in the trap this morning." "May be there now." "Yes, dear, he may be." "And then again he mayn't," said Charley. "If I were in the Baby Pitcher's place I would give up looking for that animal. Her poor little black eyes will be all faded out." "Won't either, Charley Waters. I am going home." "Say good by, dear."
The whistler, reindeer, mountain sheep and goat, ermine, musk-rat, marmet, wolf and bear, are tracked and trapped by the red-man; but I doubt if the foot of the white-man is likely to venture far into the almost impenetrable confusion of logs and brush that is the distinguishing feature of the Alaskan wilderness.
The amphibious are the beaver, the fresh-water and sea-otter, the musk-rat, and a species of long lizard, with sharp teeth, very like the cayman as regards the head and tail, but with a very short body.
At frequent intervals are self-acting tide-gates for drainage; these are made of the redwood of the coast, which does not rot in the water. The rise and fall of the tides is about six feet. The levees have been in some places troubled with beaver, which, however, are now hunted for their fur, and will not long be troublesome. There is no musk-rat an animal which would do serious damage here.
Some disturbance arose hereupon, for the Musk-rat began to make himself obtrusive, believing in the Owl's opinion of his powers, and feeling that he could have produced the honey if he had thought of it; until an experimental Butcher-bird proposed to anatomise him as a help to decision.
Plainly out of patience, Kaviak would throw off the musk-rat coat, and run about in wet mucklucks and a single garment uphill, downhill, on important errands which he confided to no man. It is part of the sorcery of such days that men's thoughts, like birds', turn to other places, impatient of the haven that gave them shelter in rough weather overpast.
Another attempt was necessary, and, after much persuasion, the musk-rat was induced to make it. He was gone a long, very long time, and was supposed by them to have met the same fate as the unfortunate beaver; but, just as they had given him over, and were preparing to chuse by lot a third animal for the same errand, he appeared, nearly dead with fatigue, but he had a little earth in his paws.
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