The Boy Trapper

as he was not more than four or five rods away, every word he

ply. "Come on, and let's explore the island. You k

times or more. He must have been a monster: he was so large and heavy that it was all a span of mules

, though?" said Don. "He destroyed nine dogs and wound

the cane, doesn't it? What would we

hardly penetrate a bear's thick skin. If he should come at us, I'd be a goner, sure, for I am so

d, and Godfrey and Dan looked at

, and they heard the oars r

id Bert, in surprised and delight

he bayou and then turned it loose, having no further use f

island now, hidden in the cane?" said Bert, lowering his voice, but st

the bow of the canoe was caught on this root; and that makes

n they left it, and the current had moved it from its place on the bank and was carrying i

e done without it. It is just the thing to chase crippled ducks with. If I

brothers had come up the bayou. Then there was more conversation in a subdued tone of voice, and presently a commotion in the cane indicated that Don and Bert were work

denly, "here we are. Come thi

other. "What should make

hat's this? Can you tell a

ed, after a moment's pause, during which he was closely examining the footprint his brother pointed out to him. "A barefooted man or boy has been along here, and that track was made

livin'. Le's slip around to the other side of the island, eas

. "They'd be sure to see us. I'll fix 'em when they come nigh enough.

in great alarm. "Here they come,

y uttered, that it almost made his hair stand on end, sounded close at his

Bert, in an excited whisper.

y, and the words were followed by t

of the animal, which had been disturbed by their approach, while Dan, crouching low in his place of concealment, looked first at his father and then glanced timidly about, as if in momen

ding-place. The conversation he overheard between the brothers, regarding the capture of the bear, which had so long held possession of the island, brought a bright idea into his mind, and he acted upon it at the right time, too. It was the only thing that saved him from discovery. Don was not afraid of a man, and if he had known that Godfrey was hidden in the cane a few feet in advance of him, he would have walked straight up to him, and accused him of stealing his boat; but he had no desire to face a wild animal alone and unaided, and he was in no

Godfrey did not fail to notice that his voice tremb

n on us before we knew he was about. I wish I had my rifle and the free u

e up his mind to risk a shot with his double-barrel, and so was Godfrey, who uttered another growl, louder and fiercer than the fir

ok out!" he exclai

ed Don, retreating ba

!" entrea

best I can now. If he shows himself I'll

der it necessary, and presently a rattling of oars and a splashing in the water told the listeners that he and his brother were pushing off and making their way down the bayou. In order to satisfy himself on this point, Godfrey crawled over the pile of cane, behind which he had been concealed and moved quickly, but noiselessly along the path, closely fol

uble nobody else," exclaimed Godfrey, shaking his fist at the

come back to pester you, growl 'em off

he mornin', sartin, an' he'll have his rifle with him, too; but I won't be here to stand afore it,

umping up and knockin

bar was killed here. That was an amazin' smart trick of mine, Dannie. Howsomever, we hain't got no more time to talk. I'm goin' to give you five dollars, Dannie, an' I want you to go to the landin' an' spend it fur me. Get me a

oin' to git

' welcome,

g from the expression on his face that he was about

eller up North. I have a right to it, kase I'm his pap: an' when I get it, I'll give you half-that is, if you do right by me while I'm hidin' here. I'll give you half

nd the barrel-he could not have been hired to go into that potato-patch after what had happened there-but it was well enough, he thought, to hold it up to Dan as an inducement. Besides, if he could get the boy interested in the matte

eal the canoe you

here; that's why. It'll take me from now till the

amp, and the result showed one rifle, one powder-horn and one bullet-pouch. All Godfrey had besides he car

lse do fur him," thought the boy. "But he needn't think he's goin' t

did not readily fall in with his plans, "I'll give yo

med Dan, brightening up. "Whar's the money,

r's plenty of drift wood at the upper end of the island, an' you kin get on a log an' pole yourself over. When you get home, Dannie, make friends with Dave the fus

ly away in his pocket, he went back to the camp after his rifle, and then followed his father through the cane toward the upper end of the island. They found an abundance of drift wood there, and from it selected two small logs of nearly the same size and length. By fastening these together with

e stockings, shoes and tobacco of which his father stood so much in need. There was David making the most extravagant purchases, and there was Silas bowing and smiling and acting as politely to him as he ever did to his richest customers. If Dan was astonished at this, he was still more astonished, when David threw down a ten-dollar bill and the grocer pushed it back to him with the remark, that his credit was good for six months. Dan could not imagine how David had managed to obtain p

ucceed, for to his great surprise and sorrow David announced that he was not going to waste any more time in building traps for Dan to break up, and this led the latter to believe that nothing more was to be done toward catching the quails. He walked slowly around the

had slipped through his fingers. "A hundred an' fifty dollars! My circus hoss an' fine gun an' straw hat an' shiny boots is all up a holler stump, dog-gone my buttons

id was busy arranging his purchases. Things were taking a turn for the better with

e'd tell me how. He's as jolly as a mud-turtle on a dry log on a sunshiny day, Dave is, while I-- Whoop!" yelled Dan, jumping up and

s open hand, thrust both arms up to the elbows in his pockets and walked up and down the yard, smiling