Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver

by Mrs. Molesworth

  CHAPTER II

  ALONE IN THE WORLD

  For two or three weeks the beavers kept very quiet in their new retreat,only going out at night, which is their usual habit. They replenishedtheir food of birch and poplar bark frequently by felling smallsaplings, cutting them up in pieces about three feet in length and thensecuring them under the ice.

  This was great fun for Shaggycoat, who had never done any work beforeand he loved to see the tall saplings come swishing down, but it was nofun for his grandfather who was getting very old. The long flight, theloss of sleep, and want of food, had been too much for him, and he didnot recuperate as quickly as the two-year-old.

  One day just at dusk, Shaggycoat thought he would steal out and fell atree for himself. His teeth fairly ached to be gnawing something, so heslipped away from his grandfather and paddled out to the open spot inthe ice. Although he is a great swimmer and is only excelled by theotter, the beaver does not swim like other quadrupeds, for he holds hisforefeet up under him, and works his powerful hind legs like lightning.As the feet are broad and webbed and he strikes at a slight angle, hepropels himself through the water with great velocity.

  As Shaggycoat neared the open place in the river where the water ranswiftly and it was easy to clamber out on the bank, a queer feeling cameover him.

  He was not afraid to go out alone, although his grandfather had alwaysgone with him. It was only a few steps and he thought nothing could harmhim, but something seemed to hold him back and fill him with a sense ofdanger. Then he happened to glance up and, close to the opening in theice, he saw a large gray animal crouched, watching the hole intently.

  The stranger was two or three times the size of Shaggycoat, as large asany beaver he had ever seen, but he was not a beaver. His fore paws weretoo long and powerful, his head with tufted ears too flat, and his eyeswere too cruel and hungry. The longer Shaggycoat looked at the fierceanimal above him on the ice, the greater grew his fear, until he fled ata headlong pace to the overhanging bank, where his grandfather wassleeping. His precipitate flight into the burrow awoke the old beaverwho slept lightly and was always watchful.

  When Shaggycoat related his adventure, the old beaver looked troubledand combed his head thoughtfully with the claws upon his hind leg. Afterdusk had fallen and the stars appeared, he carefully reconnoitred,leaving Shaggycoat in the burrow. After half an hour's time, he returnedand his manner was anxious.

  He told Shaggycoat that they must not use the opening in the ice anymore or go upon the land, for a lynx had found their hiding-place andwould watch by their front door until he dined upon beaver meat. Theymust start that very night and go farther up the river and find a newopening, and even then they must be cautious. This was sorrowful newsfor them both and the younger beaver remonstrated against leaving theirfine store of bark, but he got a sharp nip in his ear and was told tokeep his advice until it was asked for. So, after making a heartysupper, they went sorrowfully upon their way to find a new open spot inthe river where the lynx would not be watching for them.

  They went only about a mile that night, but found several open spots forthe ice was getting ready to break up. At last, they found a place thatsuited them and dragged themselves up under a sheltering bank, near arapid, that afforded them a chance to go in search of food. Then the oldbeaver slept long and sound, leaving Shaggycoat upon guard with ordersto wake him if anything uncommon appeared.

  The young beaver did not like these silent vigils and the hours seemedvery long to him, but he did as he was told. He thought his grandfathernever would wake, but at last he did, late in the afternoon, but theydid not go ashore for bark--it was too dangerous, the older beaversaid--so they had a slim supper of frozen lily pads. But this was notenough for the hungry stomach of Shaggycoat who gnawed away at some treeroots that pierced the bank where they were hiding. It was not as goodas the fresh bark of the birch, but it filled him up and made him feelbetter.

  If Shaggycoat had been older and wiser, he would have been alarmed atthe old beaver's symptoms, but he was young and thoughtless, and knewnot of age, or the signs of failing life.

  At last the spring freshet came and the ice in the river broke up. Thenthey had to look for a spot where the bank was very high so they wouldnot be drowned out. It was a long and arduous search to find the rightspot, but at last it was found just in time, for the old beaver'sstrength was nearly spent. But every day that the snow melted and theice went out of the river, food for the beavers grew more plentiful andthe sunshine and hope of spring made them glad.

  Shaggycoat was now left to himself, to swim in the river and feed uponthe bark of saplings along the shore. The old beaver was too tired withtheir long journey to venture out of the burrow they had chosen. Hegave Shaggycoat much good advice, and among other things told him toalways keep close to the water where he was comparatively safe, whileupon land, he was the easy prey of all his natural enemies. The peculiarangle of his hind legs made it impossible for him, or any other beaver,to travel much on shore, but, while in the water they were hissafeguard.

  These were delightful days for the two-year-old. The water was gettingwarm and the mere act of swimming filled him with delight. Besides, itseemed like a very wonderful world in which he lived. He had come so farand seen so many strange things. He wondered if there were other riversand if they were all as long as this one.

  One spring morning when the air was warm and balmy and birds had begunto sing in the tree-tops along the bank, Shaggycoat went for a swim in adeep pool. It was not his custom to be abroad in the daylight, forbeavers as a rule love the dark and do most of their work in inkydarkness, but the two-year-old felt restless. He must be stirring. Hisgrandfather was too old and stupid for him, so he went.

  He had a delightful play and a good breakfast upon some alders that grewin a little cove. He stayed much longer than usual, so that when hereturned the sun was low in the west.

  He found his grandfather stretched out much as he had left him, butthere was something peculiar about him. He was so still. He was notsleeping, for there was no motion of the chest and no steam from thenostrils. Shaggycoat went up to him and put his nose to his, but it wasquite cold. Then he poked him gently with his paw, but he did not stir.Then he nipped his ear as the older beaver had so frequently done tohim, but there was no response.

  He would wait; perhaps this was a new kind of sleep. He would probablywake in the morning, but a strange uneasiness filled Shaggycoat. He wasalmost afraid of his grandfather, for he was so quiet and his nose wasso cold.

  He waited an hour or two and then tried to waken him again, but with nobetter success. This time to touch the icy nose of the old beaver sent achill through Shaggycoat's every nerve, and a sudden terror of thelifeless silent thing before him seized him.

  Then a sense of loss, coupled with a great fear, came over him and hefled from the burrow like a hunted creature. He must put as many milesas possible between himself and that sleep from which there was nowaking.

  The river had never seemed so dark and uninviting before, nor held somany terrors. His grandfather had always led the way and he had merelyto follow. Now he was to lead. But where? He did not know the way, butthat silence and the terror of that stiff form with the cold nosehaunted him and he fled on.

  Morning found him many miles from the shelving bank, where the oldbeaver had been left behind.

  Shaggycoat feared the river and all it contained. The world too wasstrange to him, but most of all he feared that silent form under thedark bank.

  From that day he became a wanderer in the great world. He went by rivercourses and through mountain lakes, always keeping out of danger as wellas he could.

  Many scraps of good advice he now remembered which had been given him byhis grandfather. Perhaps his grandfather had felt the heavy sleep comingupon him and had given the advice that Shaggycoat might take care ofhimself when he should be left alone; or maybe it was only an instinctthat had come down through many generations of aquatic builders. Butcertain things
he did and others he refrained from doing, becausesomething told him that it would be dangerous.

  Other bits of information he gathered from sad experience. Many thingsbefell him that probably never would, had he been in company with wiserheads, but, he was an orphan, and the lot of the orphan is always hard.

  These are a few of the lessons that he learned during that adventuroussummer: that the water is the beaver's element, but on land he is thelaughing-stock of all who behold him; that in the water is comparativesafety, but on land are many dangers; that the otter is the beaver'sdeadly enemy, always to be avoided if possible; that minks and muskratsare harmless little creatures, but not suitable company for aself-respecting beaver; that sweet-smelling meat, for which you do nothave to work, is dangerous and bites like a clam, holding on even morepersistently.

  These and other things too numerous to mention Shaggycoat learned, someby observation and some by personal experience.

  At first, the summer passed quickly. There were so many things to see,and so many rivers and lakes to visit, but by degrees a sense ofloneliness came over him. He had no friend, no companion.

  He was positively alone in all the great world.