by other beavers, pioneers from
farther south, who, finding the spot to their liking, decided to
establish a colony. As with the human pioneers, there was a great
felling of trees and hours of heavy labor before the dwellings were
finished and the various families ensconced in their snug homes.

That first winter in the new colony was uneventful and when the ice
broke up in the spring the beaver city was swarming with sleek brown
youngsters who, while learning the serious business of life, found time
to indulge in play just as do the children of their human neighbors. At
twilight one after another would appear upon the bank, where he would
make his toilet, combing his thick, chestnut brown fur until it shone
like satin. No beaver is untidy about his dress.

Among the young beavers there was one who from the first took the lead.
Born in the lodge of old Ahmeek, king of the beavers, he showed every
indication of following in the footsteps of his father. He it was who
led the others in their frolic in the pond and upon the banks, and when
the sharp slap of a tail upon the water told of danger, none was more
quick to obey its warning.

The young beavers did not spend all their time in play. The dam
constantly needed repair; wood must be cut and stored at the bottom of
the pond, so that the colony might have food through the winter. At this
work Flat Tail, son of Ahmeek, laboured manfully. His teeth were not yet
long and sharp enough for felling trees, but they could cut off the
smaller branches. Flat Tail was very proud when he could swim back to
the lodge with one of these branches over his shoulder, kept in place
by his fore-paws held close to his body.

One day toward the end of the summer Flat Tail had a narrow escape. He
was sitting on the bank, combing his glossy brown fur, of which he was
very proud, when a prowling panther discovered him. The big cat's mouth
watered, for beaver at all times is a delicate morsel for the
flesh-eating animals. The green eyes narrowed to mere slits as, silent
as a shadow, the panther climbed a tree and made its way out to a point
from which a straight drop would land it upon its unsuspecting quarry.
In another moment Flat Tail, intent upon his toilet and oblivious of his
danger, would undoubtedly have furnished a meal for the panther had not
old Ahmeek appeared, swimming upward from the lodge. Immediately his
keen eyes discovered the crouching animal and, with a sound like the
crac