Polly and Eleanor

hat there was to do. They had had so much excitem

ter you have been kept on spice-bee

spend the day with friends of mine. We

! I'll be asleep again if we don'

We will have to harness them ourselves now that Jeb

ar, are you?" asked

Not as far as we

vingly. A nice luncheon was packed up and placed in the panniers of the burros, and t

d you mention the name of your

don't remember now. Anyway, you wouldn't

call them when

er,' but he has a large family that I

ueer things that no city folk

?" laughed Eleanor, who had heard fro

And as we may not care to eat as they do, I decided to bri

ed crest of the mountain back of Pebbly Pit, and were soon cli

to live in!" said

r, now," ret

d Noddy from the old trail and

their own home?" wondered Eleanor, ga

time, too, as I like to come here and spend the day. Be

then followed a mountain-stream up-trail for half

know I wanted to stop here?" laughed P

oval of such words and petting, but Elea

live in! Surely no one exists in

but as soon as they are all cut down, he will move the whole fam

n't understand yo

crudely built across the stream. It was rough and q

des of the stream, up and down, but no other habitation could she see. On the opposite bank several large tre

rs live near he

they were ra

ters, or what

hey are woodcutters and

ried Elea

d or you will fri

ble! What do y

ry to the house, or start a new colony where aspens can be had in plenty. As there are so ma

they are real beave

e them at work, but we have to keep v

before we have to go away,

have been cutting aspens over there, when they heard us coming an

do to coax th

graze, and we'll come back and sit q

alo grass offered a juicy repast for them. Having hobbled them to

half inches thick. The beavers always build near an aspen grove, as it is their food, but not finding a grove near the wate

rd they are w

es had been cut down. He climbed quickly out of the stream and started to roll a heavy log over the ground until it splashed down into the pond. He then jumped after it

excited astonishment, but Polly held

ow they are repairing the old houses for the Winter, and that log is to be a bulwark about which green cuttings of willow and young aspens can be woven as a partial

lling tree made Eleanor jump

ers cutting down anothe

ey ever do

u will see that b

nto the water. One of the four dragged the tree with its branches still on, into the mid-

where an old beaver was hard at work. As soon as the first beaver reached the huts, the old fellow gave a pec

morning, or that other boss would not

ge and now called to Polly anxiously. "Look a't

cutting it down. Now you watch

of another group of beavers tested the tree by placing his fore-paws against the trunk and spreading out his hind legs as

he same manner. Then the boss beaver, who was superintending the work, pushed the workers away and showed them how to work in a better way. Th

A moment later, the tree began swaying and crashed down into the pond. It had been so cu

nd left for other colonists to saw into required

he extreme upper end of the pond. Here they climbed up on the

going?" asked El

find out!" d

atching. He sniffed and then plunged back to hurry to the huts where he must have reported the result of his trip. I

d. Polly and Eleanor were quivering with exciteme

whispered Polly, cocking he

cried Eleanor, catchi

's arm and the trigger, all ready to fire, is pulled accide

lowed Polly after this. They crept th

, he turned and snapped at the foolish scout that had brought him this journey for naught! But the subdued laug

them. Because of their unwieldy and short legs, they cannot escape quickly, but in water they are wonderful swimmers, so, water being necessary to their safety, they build their huts on the

low those other ones that we

some distance before seeing a sign of a beaver agai

Grandfather,

?" cried Ele

a limp and a

reat number of beavers at work. Some cutting, some dragging, others swimming w

t quicker than the others, showing them where to place, how to saw,

pines, Polly-why d

they never cut them unless they have to clear a r

already down. There are lots that have

beaver never cuts dead wood as it dulls and injures his te

ul presence. He lifted his nose high and thumped his tail for an assistant. Leavi

fellow rose laboriously from the water just in front of her. He waited, sniffing an

ing a friend. He emitted peculiar sounds and Polly stood a few feet away uttering queer sounds, too. Then he sent her a

never in all my li

oin the workers and scold them for lazine

where we can lunch while I tell you how Grandfather

long the up-trail,

d this colony of beavers. I wanted father to come

true

he came and we sat on the same

he dam. It was not as large or strong a dam, then, as now. The beaver was anxious

nd to the other pond. Just as he climbed up from the water, he sniffed dan

very carefully, and I looked inten

if a snake was trying to curl up. But I knew it wasn't a snake. It must be the long tail of a panth

mountain-lion sprang. At the same instant, father pulled the trigger. But the panther landed almos

strength, but the lion had the upper hold on him. Slowly the two squirmed and rolled, the beav

kill the beaver!' I yelled, as I c

the trigger. This time his shot took effect for we saw the bea

-dam to the other side. Then he put the lion out of pai

en going on a trip, and father now took i

nd bring a pan, sheath-knife, a

of hartshorn. We washed the torn flesh with water, and father poured on something from a bottle th

ical work, you just ought to have seen that b

e poor fellow could not have made it alone. Father towed him across the pond and left him on the dam. There,

d watched the scene eagerly. As many beavers as could get near him, m

recover, but I thought he would, so we went

ate. I went, too, and no sooner had we tried to make the same queer sound the Grandfather had made that day, than a beaver poked his nose out of a hut and sniffed. Quickly he disappea

my colony, and there was my friend, bossing things as usual. But his back was crooke

ou should have seen that beaver! He squirmed, and barked, and thumped his tail. It was like the meeting of a long-lost friend. Father was so impressed by the incident that he went to Denver an

, but much more interesting. What becam

ugging the beast home, but I was determined to walk on his head every chance I got, so we sw

the two girls, sealed a life-long friendship between them. Neither girl had ever had a chum of her own age, and now they found so much to admire and

ABOUT TO LEAP

Eleanor.