still-born child would never grow larger or older; that it would never
leave her; that it would always love her, though she lived to be a
great-grandmother; that when sorrow and pain bowed her low this little
maid would laugh and dance and talk and sing to her, and thus change
her grief into joy. That is why an Indian mother puts pretty things
upon the grave of her still-born child, and that is why she never
mourns over it.

As our journey progressed those enemies of comfort and pleasure, the
black flies, appeared, and at sunrise and sunset caused much annoyance,
especially among the children. Then, too, at night if the breeze
subsided, mosquitoes swarmed from the leeward side of bushes and drove
slumber away.

One afternoon, while resting, we observed signs of beaver and
Oo-koo-hoo, being reminded of an incident he once witnessed, related it
to me:

"Once, my son, while paddling alone, I rounded the bend of a river, and
hearing a splash just beyond the turn, silently propelled my canoe
beneath a screen of overhanging branches. 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