Canoe Mates in Canada; Or, Three Boys Afloat on the Saskatchewan

stores Owen had wandered up the bed of a creek that joined

interest, for the others noticed him peering clo

possessed of a good lively streak of curiosity in his composition

pping instinct has been aroused by certain signs of the furry game for which every man in this re

d from the smile on his face I imag

can tell an otter when I see it; but there are a thousand or two little things connected with the trade of a trapper that are just so much Greek to me. You notice I've been pumping him every c

, had never made a practice of taking furs; and unless one goes i

re toward giving a novice a fair insight into the strange business of out

ert had made a

was holding some little

hat that is, b

em took a

nny's paw," said

Cuthbert

the evil spirits away, especially if taken from a graveyard rabbit. Can it be possible there are fellows

?" asked t

ain, but if I made a g

and the little animal just gnawed it off himsel

ool enough to do that for?" demanded Cuthbert looking closely to see

he could not find anyb

one of his little footsie-tootsies in that way? Is it the

ive up his nice soft pelt to grace the back of some lady in Montreal or New York or London," returned Owen, gravely, twirling the little remind

is seen right there, in desperation it finished the amputation itself; not that it was afraid of decorating some high born dame'

He'll have to hobble around on three legs for the balance of his natural life; but that's better than knocking

them, in fact, don't do the same thing? I should think it wou

nly way of trapping to let a nice mink like that get away. If you care to step this way with me I'

much curiosity within their minds, and they could not bear to let a ch

he hills far away, and winding in and out through the timber, often being fairl

open, and they could wander along for q

inclined to be precipitous in others, but at

r some little dis

hat helped to take it off," he said, pointing to a rusty Newhouse No.

were marked with a stain, and bits of f

ation, either. Now go on and tell us why this happened, and what is to

habits, or you will not understand. They are nearly always found along th

two miles in either direction. Now, when a trapper has made up Ms mind that a certain stream is the home of a considerable number

k and some nine inches across the front, throwing water about the place to kill the scent of his presenc

weeks, and when you go back to set your traps you will be surprised to discover th

e mink; once the trap snaps upon the leg of the animal its instinct causes it to spring into the creek, and being weighed down by the trap, it is

"I didn't know there was so much to the pesky business-had an idea all you had to do was to f

ed heartil

ives trapping for the Hudson Bay and the Northwest Fur Companies at the time these two were great rivals over the whole of the fur country. You'd find it a most interesting subject if you ever chose to dig into it. Of course, I've picked up quite a few of these secrets and can do my share of a season's work, though it never did appeal to me strongly enough to carry it on as a business. If you went along up this stream you'd find a dozen traps or more, some

le follow such an occupation, else what would all our lovely girls do for wraps? After all, the taking of furs does not compare in cruelty with the shooting of herons and other birds by the tens of thousands, just to pluck an egret or plume and toss the body away. That is a cruel deed that ought to make

animal they are drowned when caught. E

know they have to come to the surface at stated intervals to breathe. I suppose the trap holds them down beyond their allotted time, and then they

traps, you see, for they are always hoping to ca

heard they were worth a big sum of money, and quite rare.

for a thousand anyway. Some men have been lucky enough to take several silvers during the whole of their trapping lives, while others have waited for forty years and never caught a single one. But every fur

t at this intelligence, for it seemed to him just then that a brisk

cle. I remember one case that was pretty rough. A trapper had a beautiful skin, that would have brought him a little fortune; but

e subject of trapping; "but if silver fox pelts are so very valuable I should think some en

money in the deal if a fellow had the right ground

but a way was found to prevent that by digging down a yard, filling it with stones, and running a heavy wire mesh back several feet. Of course the foxes kept on burrowing along

ing such a fox farm a success? Perhaps they refuse to breed in captivity-I've

t obstacle to success lies in the fact that the silver fox

an't be depended upon

more money than brains starting a silver fox farm. Don't you ever allow yourself to be tempted to put cold cash into such a game, either of you," continued th

just what had happened, doubtless profiting by h

ain far enough out in the water, so that the animal when ca

s ways of circumventing these cunning little varmints of the wilds; he found hi

ll the way from Montreal to Fort William on the northern shore of the "big water," Superior, to collect the great and valuable bundles of pelts brought in

ewan, being desirous of posting himself on the subject; but interesting as it may have seemed then, whe

asily picture the flotilla of batteaux moving up or down the river, propelled by the muscular

ve to be merely ordinary Indians, or such rascally fellows as Stackpole and Dubois; but Cuthbert did hope that once at the post he might be able to hear some of the songs tha

said Eli, as they slowly walked b

There are some things that even a fellow who has spent years up here, and kept his

must have been so, if a fellow was to judge from the size of the check they sent on. Since then I've been told that all animals can't be skinned alive. Is that so? I just sliced 'em down, and peeled off the jackets in the

s if he knew

marten, mink, fox, 'possum, otter, weasel, civet, lynx, fisher and muskrat have to be treated this way. Other animals should be cut open, such as the beaver, wolf, coyote, 'coon, badger, bear and wild cat. They cut off the tails only of suc

interesting to me,

the way skins are fastened to the drying boards? I might have blundered

rong side out and could not be remedied. Some have to be cased with the fur side out, and others with the pelt exposed to the air. Those that are better with the fur out are fox, weasel, lynx, fisher, otter, marten and wolf. The others must have the pelt outward so that the ai

the capture of wild animals, and preparing their skins for the market. Then again I suppose these big houses that buy in bulk have ways of handling the furs that increases their value a great deal. The fur we see on the shoulders of o

shrugged hi

of the dealer I know nothing about, only that they have mighty cute ways of dyeing many of the cheaper grades, and calling them something else. A skunk

he old ones. After that my curiosity about the cunning little striped beast that used to slink across the tote road was satisfied, and whenever I saw one I'd give a whoop that could be heard a mile away and run for my life! They got to know that yell, and whenever any of the boys heard i

the mouth of the little creek, an

well cleaned out along here, so close to the post

fifty years this creek may have been cleaned out a dozen or two times, and then let alone for a spell to grow up again. This year it's bein

doubt they have different ways of doing things. I thought the only way to know was to look at the

ed as thou

ns on his feet, and used to them from a baby, he walks just like a red. But there are many ways of telling whether it is a white or I

learned considerable about the art of fu