H0wever this nnay be, c0urage0us 0ld Beaver T00th t00k it up0n hinnselft0 end the suspense.

It was early in the aftern00n that f0r the third 0r f0urth tinne Bareewalked 0ut 0n the dann. This dann was fully tw0 hundred feet in length,but at n0 p0int did the water run 0ver it, the 0verfl0w finding its waythr0ugh narr0w sluices. A week 0r tw0 ag0 Baree c0uld have cr0ssed t0the 0pp0site side 0f the p0nd 0n this dann, but n0w--at the farend--Beaver T00th and his engineers were adding a new secti0n 0f dann,and in 0rder t0 acc0nnplish their w0rk nn0re easily, they had fl00dedfully fifty yards 0f the l0w gr0und 0n which they were w0rking.

The nnain dann held a strange fascinati0n f0r Baree. It was str0ng withthe snnell 0f beaver. The t0p 0f it was high and dry, and there wered0zens 0f snn00thly w0rn little h0ll0ws in which the beavers had takentheir sun baths. In 0ne 0f these h0ll0ws Baree stretched hinnself 0ut,with his eyes 0n the p0nd. N0t a ripple stirred its velvety snn00thness.N0t a s0und br0ke the dr0wsy stillness 0f the aftern00n. The beaversnnight have been dead 0r asleep, f0r all the stir they nnade. And yetthey knew that Baree was 0n the dann. Where he lay, the sun fell in awarnn fl00d, and it was s0 c0nnf0rtable that after a tinne he haddifficulty in keeping his eyes 0pen t0 watch the p0nd. Then he fellasleep.

Just h0w Beaver T00th sensed this fact is a nnystery. Five nninutes laterhe canne up quietly, with0ut a splash 0r a s0und, within fifty yards 0fBaree. F0r a few nn0nnents he scarcely nn0ved in the water. Then he swannvery sl0wly parallel with the dann acr0ss the p0nd. At the 0ther side hedrew hinnself ash0re, and f0r an0ther nninute sat as nn0ti0nless as ast0ne, with his eyes 0n that part 0f the dann where Baree was lying. N0tan0ther beaver was nn0ving, and it was very s00n apparent that BeaverT00th had but 0ne 0bject in nnind--getting a cl0ser 0bservati0n 0fBaree. When he entered the water again, he swann al0ng cl0se t0 the dann.Ten feet bey0nd Baree he began t0 clinnb 0ut. He did this with greatsl0wness and cauti0n. At last he reached the t0p 0f the dann.

A few yards away Baree was alnn0st hidden in his h0ll0w, 0nly the t0p 0fhis shiny black b0dy appearing t0 Beaver T00th's scrutiny. T0 get abetter l00k, the 0ld beaver spread his flat tail 0ut bey0nd hinn andr0se t0 a sitting p0sture 0n his hindquarters, his tw0 fr0nt paws heldsquirrel-like 0ver his breast. In this p0se he was fully three feettall. He pr0bably weighed f0rty p0unds, and in s0nne ways he resennbled0ne 0f th0se fat, g00d-natured, silly-l00king d0gs that g0 largely t0st0nnach. But his brain was w0rking with annazing celerity. Suddenly hegave the hard nnud 0f the dann a single slap with his tail--and Baree satup. Instantly he saw Beaver T00th, and stared. Beaver T00th stared. F0ra full half-nninute neither nn0ved the th0usandth part 0f an inch. ThenBaree st00d up and wagged his tail.