since taught to the beaver and which,
moreover, is known and practised by the gauchos of the pampas, by the
googoos of Rhodesia and by many other tribes. I had but to select a
suitable growth of trees and gnaw them down with my teeth, taking care
so to gnaw them that each should fall into the place appointed for it
in the building. The sides, once erected in this fashion, another row of
trees, properly situated, is gnawed down to fall crosswise as the roof.

I set myself briskly to work and in half an hour had already the
satisfaction of seeing my habitation rising into shape. I was still
gnawing with unabated energy when I was interrupted by a low growling in
the underbrush. With animal caution I shrank behind a tree, growling in
return. I could see something moving in the bushes, evidently an animal
of large size. From its snarl I judged it to be a bear. I could hear it
moving nearer to me. It was about to attack me. A savage joy thrilled
through me at the thought, while my union suit bristled with rage from
head to foot as I emitted growl after growl of defiance. I bared my
teeth to the gums, snarling, and lashed my flank with my hind foot.
Eagerly I watched for the onrush of the bear. In savage combat who
strikes first wins. It was my idea, as soon as the bear should appear,
to bite off its front legs one after the other. This initial advantage
once gained, I had no doubt of ultimate victory.

The brushes parted. I caught a glimpse of a long brown body and a hairy
head. Then the creature reared up, breasting itself against a log, full
in front of me. Great heavens! It was not a bear at all. It was a man.

He was dressed, as I was, in a union suit, and his face and hands, like
mine, were stained a butternut brown. His hair was long and matted and
two weeks' stubble of beard was on his face.

For a minute we both glared at one another, still growling. Then the man
rose up to a standing position with a muttered exclamation of disgust.

"Ah, cut it out," he said. "Let's talk English."

He walked over towards me and sat down upon a log in an attitude that
seemed to convey the same disgust as the expression of his features.
Then he looked round about him.

"What are you doing?" he said.

"Building a house," I answered.

"I know," he said with a nod. "What are you here for?"

"Why," I explained, "my plan is this: I want to see whether a man can
come out here in the woods, naked, with no aid but that of his own h