s. After waiting and watching
awhile, I saw an otter fishing in the stream. A moment later I beheld
a beaver--evidently a female--swimming just beyond the otter, and
pursued by two other beavers--evidently males. The males, perceiving
the otter swimming in the direction of the female, probably came to the
conclusion that he was about to pay his court to her, for they suddenly
swerved from their course and attacked the innocent otter. He dived to
escape his assailants, and they dived after him. When he rose for
breath, they came up, too, and made after him; so he dived again.
Evidently, they were trying to wind their quarry, for whenever he came
up for breath they endeavoured to reach him before he got it. In a
short time they had so exhausted him that he refused to dive again
before he gained his breath. He made for the shore. The beavers
rushed after him, overtook him, and just as he gained the bank, ripped
his throat open. Then I shot one of the beavers and tossed it into my
canoe along with the otter."
The journey to the Post was a delight all the way--save when the flies
were busy. One night those almost invisible little torments, the sand
flies, caused us--or rather me--much misery until Granny built such a
large fire that it attracted the attention of the little brutes, and
into it they all dived, or apparently did--just as she said they
would--for in less than half an hour not a single sand fly remained.
On our way to God's Lake we had considerable sport in the way of
shooting white-water. One morning we landed at the head of a portage,
and, as the rapid was not a dangerous one, Oo-koo-hoo and Amik
determined to run it, but first went ashore to examine the channel. On
their return Oo-koo-hoo instructed the others to follow his lead about
four canoe-lengths apart, so that in case of mishap they could help
each other. Down the canoes plunged one after the other. The children
wielded their little paddles, screaming with delight as they swiftly
glided through the foaming spray past shores still lined here and there
with walls of ice.
As the canoes rounded a sharp bend in the rapid Oo-koo-hoo descried a
black bear walking on the ice that overhung the eastern bank. The
animal seemed as much surprised as any of us, and, instead of making
off, rose upon its haunches and gazed in amazement at the passing
canoes. But as we swept by there was no thought of firing guns. The
sight of the bear reminded O
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