An episode appeared twice a month
in The Michigan Farmer magazine.
A Dangerous Game of Tag
"Did Flattail have a doctor when he was sick?" Jerry asked
Uncle Joe the next day.
Uncle Joe stroked his chin a moment. "Well, Jerry, I never thought
of it in that way before, but few of the animals in the woods ever have
a doctor. It is only when they are in great difficulty that the Conservation
Officers can take them to a doctor; but it wasn't necessary to do that
in the case of Flattail.
"In a few days he was up and about, and in a short time he seemed
as well as ever. Mother Nature has a pretty thorough way of protecting
her children.
"All summer long, Flattail and the other little beavers played
in Friendly Creek without trouble. The older beavers were busy every
day bringing down the last of the winter's supply of wood for food.
"The fall and early winter must have seemed strange to the young
beavers. They had been born in the spring and had never seen ice or
snow. One morning, Friendly Creek was covered with a thin coat of ice.
Later the ice grew thicker and snow fell almost every day. This is the
time of the year when the beavers rest and sleep a great deal. They
have their food under water where the ice won't reach it. All they have
to do is swim out of their home and get a piece of poplar wood to eat.
"In the winter, they eat not only the bark but often the wood
as well. Occasionally they go out on the bank of Friendly Creek for
a moment or two on warm days. For this purpose they keep a small hole
open in the ice near the bank by breaking the ice every day.
"I should think it would be very cold to swim about in the icy
water," Jerry said.
"The beavers have some very fine fur coats," Uncle Joe said,
"which not only keep them quite dry as they swim, but warm as well.
The colder the weather, the longer the coat grows.
"Well, it was along in the winter that the beavers played a very
dangerous game of tag. At least it was dangerous for the young beavers.
We don't stay in the towers during the wintertime since there is little
or no danger of fires during that time. I was over by Friendly Creek
watching to see whether the beavers would come out or not, when I noticed
a dark-colored animal about the size of a large cat going towards the
beaver lodge.
"It was a mink, one of the most cunning and bloodthirsty of all
the forest creatures. It must have been unfortunate in its hunting,
for its little beady eyes were searching everywhere for food.
"Suddenly the mink spied the open hole in the ice made by the
beavers and in a flash he had disappeared. Through the clear ice of
Friendly Creek I could see the whole thing.
"One of the younger beavers was out at the poplar pile getting
his lunch. Undoubtedly it was the intention of the mink to surprise
one of the smaller beavers, kill it, and take it away unnoticed.
"The younger beaver saw the mink at the same time the mink saw
him. Away they went. Up towards the lodge tunnel the young beaver scampered.
Evidently all the other beavers were out, because soon out came the
beaver, with the mink in pursuit."
"Was it Flattail?" Jerry asked eagerly.
"I don't know," Uncle Joe said. "They were moving too
rapidly, but I have no doubt that Flattail was somewhere close by.
"Then something different happened. The mink stopped short and
began to swim for his life. Two of the older beavers had spied him and
were ready to defend the young beavers. But this wasn't necessary. The
sight of the older beavers was enough. The mink climbed through the
hole in the ice and disappeared in the direction of Friendly Forest."
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