"The net being now quite taut along the lower surface of the ice, must of course completely cover the hole in the `floor.' It followed, therefore, that if the muskrats were `at home,' they were now `in the trap.' "My companion assured me that they would be found inside. The reason why he had not used the net on first cutting the holes, was to give any member of the family that had been frightened out, a chance of returning; and this he knew they would certainly do, as these creatures cannot remain very long under the water. "He soon satisfied me of the truth of his statement. In a few minutes, by means of the ice-chisel and pickaxe, we had pierced the crust of the dome; and there, apparently half asleep,--because dazzled and blinded by the sudden influx of light--were no less than eight full-grown musquashes! "Almost before I could count them, Old Foxey had transfixed the whole party, one after the other, with his long spear. "We now proceeded to another of the houses, at which the holes had been cut. There my companion went through a similar series of operations; and was rewarded by a capture of six more `rats.' "In the third of the houses only three were found. "On opening a fourth, a singular scene met our eyes. There was but, one muskrat alive, and that one seemed to be nearly famished to death. Its body was wasted to mere `skin and bone;' and the animal had evidently been a long time without food. Beside it lay the naked skeletons of several small animals that I at once saw were those of the muskrat. A glance at the bottom of the nest explained all. The hole, which in the other houses had passed through the ice, and which we found quite open, in this one was frozen up. The animals had neglected keeping it open, until the ice had got too thick for them to break through; and then, impelled by the cravings of hunger, they had preyed upon each other, until only one, the strongest, survived! "I found upon counting the skeletons that no less than eleven had tenanted this ice-bound prison. "The Indian assured me that in seasons of very severe frost such an occurrence is not rare. At such times the ice forms so rapidly, that the animals--perhaps not having occasion to go out for some hours--find themselves frozen in; and are compelled to perish of hunger, or devour one another! "It was now near night--for we had not reached the lake until late in the day--and my companion proposed that we should leave farther operations until the following morning. Of course I assented to the proposal, and we betook ourselves to some pine-trees that grew on a high bank near the shore, where we had determined to pass the night.