ments.

The beavers excavate a ditch around their lodges too deep to be frozen.
Into this opens all their dwellings, the door being far below the
surface, so that free ingress and egress are secured.

The half dozen beavers occupying a lodge arrange their beds against the
wall, each separate from the other, while the centre of the chamber is
unoccupied. During summer they secure their stock of food by gnawing
down hundreds of trees, the trunks or limbs of which are sunk and
fastened in some peculiar manner to the bottom of the stream. During the
winter when the beaver feels hungry, he dives down, brings up one of the
logs, drags it to a suitable spot and nibbles off the bark.

It is impossible fully to understand how this remarkable animal does its
work, for as it never toils in the day time, it is out of the power of
any one to watch its method.

The peculiar odoriferous substance, secreted in two glandular sacs near
the root of the tail, is "castoreum," more generally known as "bark
stone" among the trappers. The odor is powerful and is so attractive to
the animals themselves, that the trapper has only to smear some of it
near the trap which is hidden under water. Any beaver which catches the
scent, is sure to hasten to the spot and is almost certain to be caught
in the trap.

CHAPTER VIII.

Carson and two Companions set out on a Trapping Expedition of Their
Own--They Meet With Great Success--Is Engaged by Captain Lee--Carson's
Pursuit of an Indian Thief.

Kit Carson finally grew tired of wandering over the country without
gaining sight of a beaver. He proposed to two of his companions that
they start on a private expedition of their own. They were as disgusted
as he and eagerly agreed to the proposition.

The employers of the men commended the enterprise of the little company
and gave them their best wishes. Cordial farewells were exchanged all
around, and Kit and his comrades left the camp on their perilous errand.

On this occasion, as on innumerable other ones, Carson showed most
excellent judgment. His scheme was to keep entirely to the streams never
once venturing upon the plains. Several advantages were likely to
flow from this course. During the summer season the mountain Indians
generally placed their women and children in charge of the old men and
a few warriors and came down from their retreats to engage in hunting
bison or in marching on the war path. Occasionally they are at peace
with