The Boy Trapper

I don't pay him fur it afore he's a great many weeks older, I'll just play myself out a tryin'. If me an' him works toge

er and Don and Bert Gordon; or, rather, after his failure to find out what it was that brought Don and Bert to the cabin. He did overhear what passed between them, but he did not lea

eman an' takin' his ease? I'll bust up them traps of his'n faster'n he kin make 'em. I'll show him that I'm the boss of this house now that pap's away, no matter if them Gordon fellers is a backin' on him up. I've larned a heap by listenin'. I heard Dave tell the ole w

and deep, and near the middle of it and opposite the spot where Dan stood, was a little island thickly covered with briers and cane. It was known among the settlers as Bruin's Island. Dan knew the place well. Many a fine string of goggle-eyes had he caught at the foot of the huge sycamore which grew at the lower end of the island, and leaned over the water

uick and noiseless, but still they did not escape the notice of Dan, who dropped on the instant and hid behind a fallen log that happened to be close at hand. He did not have time to take a good look at the obje

every limb, "but in course it couldn't be; so it's

otionless for a moment and Dan's eyes were sharp enough to see that there was a face below the hat-a tanned and weather-beaten face, the lower portion of which was concealed by thick, bushy whiskers. As Dan looked his eyes began to dilate, his mouth came open

f the speaker were afraid of being overheard by

" cri

tty certain now that it was a man-stepped out into view, disclosing the well-known form and featu

Dannie?" ask

a shoutin',"

r with you, I rec

elf. But be you sar

teful an' ondutiful boy to leave your poor ole pap, what's fit the Yankees an' worked so hard to brin

n't know you was

shooting over his decoys. It was a beautiful little craft, and Dan had often wished that he could call it his own. It was one thing that made him hate Don and Bert so cordially, and he had often told himself that when he was ready to carry out the threats he had so often made, that canoe should be one of the first things to suffer. The

ropelled by oars instead of paddles-and in a few seconds more he was on Dan's side of the bayou. The moment the canoe touched the ban

who was the first to speak, "an' I'm ridikilis proud to see you wi

rey. "I wasn't goin' to swim over to the is

it, an' no thanks to Don Gordon nuther. Been a livin' here ever since you'

ht a knowed where to find me, kase here's whar I hung out when the Y

done been to Dave fur them

n he gets 'em," said Godfrey, s

e bill," added Dan. "I

got that much money, why don't he give it to me, like he had oug

't you come home an' go 'have your

o to tell some folks, but a man what's fit the Yanks ain't so easy fooled. I'm safe here, an' here I'll

e gone hom

out them gettin' into a fur

ou an' Clarence thought Don was ole Jo

t chance of making eighty thousand dollars. I heard Clarence was robbed afore he went away," added

nothing about t

belief that the robbery of which he was guilty was the talk of the settlement, and that he would be arrested for at if he s

ice was so cheerful and animated that the boy looked at

r up North this mornin' tellin' him if he would trap fifty dozen live quail fur him, he'd pay him so't he could mak

"They're all the time a boostin' Dave, an' me and you could starve fur all they keer. Now jump out, an' we'll

g a narrow, winding path which ran through the cane, and after a few minutes walking ushered Dan into an open space in the centre of the island. Here stood the little bark lea

ere was a little armful of leaves under the roof of the lean-to and there was a block of wood beside the fire-place, the position of which was pointed out by a bed of ashes and cinders. The leaves served for a bed and the block of wood for a chair; and they were all the "furniture" that was to be seen about the camp. But Godfrey was very well satisfied with his surroundings and Dan was deligh

e, pap!" said Dan, when he had ta

ore I know it, nuther. They can't git to me if they come afoot kase the bayou'll stop 'em; an' I never heard of nobody coming up here in a boat. Nothing bothers me 'ceptin' a bar. He comes over every night to feed on the beech-nuts an' acorns, an' some n

me here an' live wit

des you must stay in the settlement an' help me. I shall need things from the store now an' then, an' as I can't go and git 'em myself, you'll have to git 'em

Dan, "an' don't you say so too, pap? Kase why, he's goin' to git fifty dol

ey, with a great show of indignation. "Not by no means he won't. If he do

him I was goin' agin him, an' so I am. I'll bust his traps as fast as I

fiercely that Dan jumped up and turned his face toward th

ers with him an' he wouldn

ebody what knows somethin' talks to you. What odds d

the money; that's the

of us. You jest keep still an' let Dave go on an' ketch the birds; an' when he's ketched 'em an' got the money in his

gether, rested his elbows on his knees and loo

thing you know," said Dan. "It's

fule of you. It would be fifty dollars if he got only a dollar a dozen. If

were utterly bewildered. Dan returned the stare with interest. "A hundred dollars!" he repeated, s

as he could settle his mind to the task, went over hi

a dozen, he'll get a hundred a

puzzled and amazed. He was certain that he had made no mistake in his mental arithmetic this time, and

he exclaimed, in great disgust; "an' here's me, who has worked a

crie

he could not recall it without exciting Dan's su

fur it, too. But a hundred an' fifty dollars

hul o

ne a power of hard thinkin' since I've been here on this island, an' I've got some idees in my head that will make you look wild when you hear 'em. I di

to look fur th

in't, but

n't," replied D

ement even at night. You hain't goin' to give up the money, be you? Then what'll become of y

o into that tater-patch alone, arter dark; if I knowe

her to Dan's liking, had it not been for an unlooked-for interruption that occurred just then. Godfrey had raised his hand in the air to give emphasis to some remark he was about to make, when he was checked by a slight splashing in t

me for me to stop and rest w

Bert Gordon were in it. They were so clos

the work is concerned," said the same voice. "I've done about all I can do to-day. There don't se

n' pestered by them two oneasy chaps?" whispered Dan, jumping up from his

" replied Godfrey, shak

mself behind one of the piles of cane, an