The Chief Engineer

A dark night on Cherry Pond brings an unexpected interruption to a deer photography outing. Henry Abbott and his companion Bige feel their cedar boat strike a swimming animal, then return the next morning to examine damaged wood and traces of fur. Gnawed trees and stripped branches provide further clues. Their eventual acquaintance has a broad tail and an unusual white patch on its head, allowing them to recognize the beaver on later visits.

Abbott's woodland account follows beavers as they build homes, repair an old lumber dam and change the waterways around them. Flooded ground opens access to poplar trees, while a rock in a swift stream becomes support for another dam. Alongside these observations, he recounts local trapping history and reports of efforts to restore beaver colonies. The book offers readers interested in natural history a camper's view of animal construction, with practical details and speculation about the thought behind the work.