in the water and filled up the hole I made; that must be the
trouble," said Jerry hopefully, as he hurried towards the dam.

First he carefully examined it from the Laughing Brook side. Then he
dived down under water on the other side. He was gone a long time,
and Billy Mink was just getting ready to dive to see what had become
of him when he came up again.

"What is the trouble?" cried Spotty the Turtle and Grandfather Frog
and Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter together. "Is the hole filled up
with stuff that has drifted in?"

Jerry shook his head, as he slowly climbed out of the water. "No,"
said he. "No, it isn't filled with drift stuff brought down by
the water. It is filled with sticks and mud that somebody has put there.
Somebody has filled up the hole that I worked so hard to make
yesterday, and it will take me all day to open it up again."

Then Grandfather Frog and Spotty the Turtle and Billy Mink and
Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat stared at one mother, and for a
long time no one said a word.



CHAPTER XXI: Jerry Muskrat Keeps Watch

"The way in which to find things out,
And what goes on all round about,
Is just to keep my two eyes peeled
And two ears all the time unsealed."