The Boy Trapper

d conveyed to him the startling intelligence that a "haunt"-a Northern boy would have called it a ghost-had been seen at General Gordon's barn. It looked exactly like old Jordan, the negro, who

object with his own eyes-a feeble old negro, dressed in a white plantation suit, and wearing a battered plug hat, who limped along in plain view of him, and finally disappeared, no one could tell how or when. That was enough for Godfrey. He started for home at the

would have taken to his heels at once, but Clarence, who did not believe in "haunts," walked up and seized the negro by the arm. After much argument, Godfrey was induced to do the same, and then his fears all vanished, for it was a veritable human being that he took hold of and not a spirit, as he feared it was. He declared, too, that the interloper was the missing Jordan, beyond a doubt, and that he had come there to steal the money he had buried in that same field years before. The negro was commanded to point out the spot where the

the world except Don Gordon could whistle. As soon as Clarence recovered from his amazement and terror, he mounted Don's pony and set out for the potato-cellar to see for himself. When he reached it, he found that the prisoner had already been liberated by somebody (it was Bert, who was guided to his place of confinement by Don's loud and continued whistling) and was no doubt on the way home by that time. What was Clarence to do? Of course he could not go back to the plantation and face his relatives after what he had done, and there was no other house in the settlement open to him. Just then

in the swamp somewhere, fearing that if he comes home he will be arrested for three offences-robbing Clarence, assaulting Don, and trying to steal the eighty thousand dollars, which he still firmly believ

this winter?" asked Mrs. Evans, continuing the conversat

art. "It will be cold out there in the swamp pretty soon. I saw a flock of wild geese in the lake this morning, and that is a sure sign that winter is close at hand. Fa

what I should do without you.

f I can't get work to do, I can hunt and trap small game, you know; and if I only had a rifle, I am sure I could kill at least one deer every week.

," said his mother, smilin

o me as soon as Don Gordon's pointer is field-broken, and you shall have every cent of it. Besides, you haven't

heard from

ed to confess t

s. Evans. "You know this is not the only country in which quails are to be found, and neither

in money," said David, who was determined to look on the bright side of things. "I'll earn a

the friendly word and caress that the boy never failed to bestow when he passed the kennel in which the animal was confined. The greeting he extended to his four-footed friend was a short one this morning, for David had other matters on his mind. He confidently expected that a few days more would bring him the wished-for order from the man who had advertised for

n," exclaimed David, dropping his hammer

earful bore to be tied up in the house for a whole week, but I was bound to come down here this morning, if I had

vid, in a voice that tr

Bert opened it. The man says, he wants fifty dozen live qu

for some years to come. He opened the letter and one glance at it showed him that the money was his, if he could only capture the required number of birds. They were

ng how business was transacted had been very limited,

n as he could speak. "C. O. D

f voice which showed that he

aid Bert; "we didn't know what the

n each box you mark the value of its contents. You send a notice of shipment to the man, and he will know when to look for the birds. When they arrive he pays th

t his brother had not made matters much clearer by his explanation, "you go to work and cat

id Don. "We'll do any

t as if a tremendous responsibility

at once," added Don. "I don't suppose you could tell, even within a we

nd so that a fellow can't tell anything about them. They are plenty

t you can say is, that you will lose n

s better than half the old dog

pe to get firmly on my feet next week, a

as they rode away. "I don't wonder that everybody likes them. A hundred and fifty dollars! Whew! won'

or that day, go down to the landing, purchase some nice present for his mother and surprise her with it when she came home. Of course he had no money to pay for it, but what did that matter? Silas Jones was always willing to trust anybody whom he knew to be reliable, and when he learned that his customer would have a hundred and fifty dollars of his own in a few weeks, he would surely let him have a warm dress or a pair of shoes. When his money came he would get his mother something fine

ere!" shout

fence-Silas Jones, who kept the store at the landing, and t

and I thought I would ride around and see if you have heard any

't," answered Davi

that he owes me eight doll

as much as that," replied David, opening his eyes. In h

have been more. I made a little reduction to him, because I knew that he didn't own more of this world'

e glad to do so. We may want groceries some time,

ay up promptly and your cr

David, "is that you will wait

waving his hands up and down in the air. "Must have money to-day. My cred

e isn't on

u have any honor about you,

an to do, but I c

ng at once, you can't get a single thing at my store from this time

erything I have bought of you,

s, you will pay that debt to-day. You have always been called an honest boy,

is horse and rode away, le