orse.

While Quonab skinned the catch, Rolf prowled around the pond and soon
came running back to tell of a remarkable happening.

At another open hole a beaver had come out, wandered twenty yards to a
mound which he had castorized, then passed several hard wood trees to
find a large poplar or aspen, the favourite food tree. This he had begun
to fell with considerable skill, but for some strange reason, perhaps
because alone, he had made a miscalculation, and when the tree came
crashing down, it had fallen across his back, killed him, and pinned him
to the ground.

It was an easy matter for the hunters to remove the log and secure his
pelt, so they left the beaver pond, richer than they had expected.

Next night, when they reached their half-way shanty, they had the best
haul they had taken on this line since the memorable day when they got
six beavers.

The morning dawned clear and bright. As they breakfasted, they noticed
an extraordinary gathering of ravens far away to the north, beyond any
country they had visited. At least twenty or thirty of the birds were
sailing in great circles high above a certain place, uttering a deep,
sonorous croak, from time to time. Occasionally one of the ravens would
dive down out of sight.

"Why do they fly above that way?"

"That is to let other ravens know there is food here. Their eyes are
very good. They can see the signal ten miles away, so all come to the
place. My father told me that you can gather all the ravens for twenty
miles by leaving a carcass so they can see it and signal each other."

"Seems as if we should look into that. Maybe another panther," was
Rolf's remark.

The Indian nodded; so leaving the bundle of furs in a safe place with
the snowshoes, that they carried on a chance, they set out over the
hard crust. It was two or three miles to the ravens' gathering, and, as
before, it proved to be over a cedar brake where was a deer yard.

Skookum knew all about it. He rushed into the woods, filled with the
joy of martial glory. But speedily came running out again as hard as
he could, yelling "yow, yow, yowl" for help, while swiftly following,
behind him were a couple of gray wolves. Quonab waited till they were
within forty yards; then, seeing the men, the wolves slowed up and
veered; Quonab fired; one of the wolves gave a little, doglike yelp.
Then they leaped into the bushes and were lost to view.

A careful study of the snow showed one or two trifling tr