on this point; for, the beaver, above all other wild animals of
America is endowed with an extraordinary amount of instinct. His
handiwork and habits sufficiently attest this.

There are bands of Indians living in the Northwestern part of America
who really believe that the beaver has almost as much intelligence as
an Indian, holding and maintaining that all the difference that exists
between a beaver and an Indian, is, that the latter has been endowed
by the Great Spirit with power and capabilities to catch the former.
Some of the stories which old mountaineers occasionally inflict upon
an inquisitive traveller are somewhat startling; nevertheless, what
this amphibious animal really performs is truly astounding, and
oftentimes the truth fails to gain credence.

During the winter the trappers had many very pleasant times, for they
had little work beyond the task of making themselves comfortable.
The snow fell to a great depth, which proved rather hard for their
animals. By dint of cutting down cottonwood trees and gathering the
bark and branches for fodder, they managed to prevent them from dying
of starvation. The buffalo existed about there in great abundance;
and, early in the winter, they had taken the precaution to kill and
prepare a large supply of this kind of game, while it was in good
condition. As the season advanced therefore, the trappers found
themselves living quite sumptuously.

In the month of January, the daily routine of their lives was
rather unpleasantly disturbed. A party of fifty Crow Indians made an
unfriendly visit to their camp on one very dark night. They succeeded
in stealing nine of their loose animals, with which they escaped
unperceived. Early the next morning, the _signs_ of the Indians were