The Boy Trapper

counted his fingers-"twenty-two dollars and two bits, anyhow. Then my clothes, an' stockings, an' shoes, an' all the powder

d in the rear of the cabin with his thoughts for company, until his mother came home. The dress David had purchased for her, and which he had placed in the most conspicuous position he could find, was the first thing that attracted her attention as she entered the door. Dan heard her exclamation of joyful surprise, and listened with all his ears in the hope of overhearing some of the conversation that passed between her and David; but it was carried on in a

Dan threw himself upon the "shake-down" on which he and his brother slept, and in a few minutes began snoring lustily. He was not asleep, however. His ears were open, and so were his eyes the most of the time. He saw everything that

o sleep. He deposited his clothes at the head of the bed, as usual, and Dan, through his half-closed ey

thar dry goods, unless he give 'em to the ole woman when she fust come hum, an' they'll be mine afo

en reaching out his hand drew David's clothes toward him. He searched all the pockets carefully, but there was nothing in them except a pocket-knife with two broken blades, and that was not what Dan was looking for. Muttering something under his breath Dan turned all the pockets inside o

nder there, why don't

nd mortification, but Dan was not easily abashed, and alth

you see, don't y

t thar?" g

ve at the landing. It isn't in my cloth

kin' fur it,"

can't get it out of there. I told you that you'd never have another chance to steal any of my money, and I think y

saying a word to anybody. David was as bright as a lark; and after he had assisted his mother in her household duties, he took down his rusty old single-barrel from the pegs over the fireplac

growled Dan, when he found himself alone. "I'll pay 'em fur it by kickin' up a wuss

him. David ran across the garden to join the brothers, and found that they were all ready to start on the hunt they had planned the day before. A well-filled basket, which David knew contained a substantial lunch, stood on the wharf, and near it lay the General's heavy double-barrel gun, which Bert had borrowed for the occasion, knowing that it would throw

e island the day before, something disagreeable might have happened. Godfrey Evans could not have driven them away by imitating the growl of a wild animal. They welcomed th

of buckshot will be more than he can carry away with him. Here are the axes to build the trap with, if we don't find him on the island; there's a bag of corn for bait, an auger to bore the h

took his place at the oars and the brothers found comfortable seats in the stern. Altogether it was a heavy load the little boat had to carry, and she was so deep in the water tha

om the bench on which he was seated in front of the door, and ran hastily around the corner of the building. He did not mean that Don and Bert should

o be seen, but that was no proof that the island was deserted. There was some one there whom the three boys did not expect to see or hear of very soon, and that was Godfrey Evans. He was waiting for Dan to come with the canoe and the tobacco and other articles he had been instructed to purchase at the store. He had watch

nd uttered a deep-toned bay. Godfrey ducked his head on the instant and crawled swiftly away from the sycamore on his hands and knees. He was careful to keep th

himself, "and our Dave's with 'em. Don's got his rifle now and his dogs, too, so't

e cane again and ran toward the head of the island. The muddy beach was thickly covered with drift-wood, and b

nd looked over his shoulder; Bert caught up his father's double-barrel and hastily loaded it with two cartridges containing buckshot

Bert. "The hounds hav

e to fight to do it. Dave, you'd better load up-Bert has plenty of loose buckshot in his pocket-and mind yo

h their guns across their knees, closely watching the island, while the hounds stood in the bow snuffing the air. They caught some tai

water, and the canoe moved around the foot of the island and along the beach, until it reached a point opposite the place where Bert had found the path the day before. Then it was turned toward the bank, and the

to the water and swims to the mainland, we shall lose him. We don't care for that, however. He'll be sure to come back, and when he does he'll find a tra

in single file, Don leading the way. A very few minutes sufficed to bring them to the cleared spot in which God

en up into the trees over his head. "The game has just left here. This is somebody's old camp,

t Godfrey was safely out of their reach. Seizing the opportunity when the hunters and dogs were hidden from view in the cane, he stepped into the water and struck out for the mainland. He had hardly time to climb the bank and conceal himself in the bushes before Don's hounds were running about on the very spot where he had been hidden but a few mi

he uttered the words would have led one to believe that he was glad of it

David; "but there is some timber in this drift-wood that will answer our purpose

the axes; and while you and Bert are cutting the logs, I'll unload the boat and open

had been thoughtful enough to put into the boat, was brought into requisition, and the work of hauling in the logs began. As fast as they were placed in position, Don fastened them down with the pins he and his brother had made the night before, and when lunch time came, a nea

e of the ducks Bert had shot that morning, but their time was much too precious to be wasted in cooking. The hardest part of their task was yet to be done, and that was to build a movable roof for their ca

y. The roof was held in this position by a stout lever, which rested across the limb of a convenient tree. A rope led from the other end of the lever, down through a hole in the roof, to the trigger, to which the bait-an ear of corn-was attached. The bear was expected to