Connie Morgan in the Fur Country

e bear that for want of a better place had been deposited upon the floor of the cabin. "First we got to build de cache. We ain' got no room in de cabin-an' besides, she too warm

med a convenient crotch. The other three trees were similarly treated. Four strong poles were cut and placed from one crotch to another to form the frame of the cache. These poles were cut long enough to extend about four feet beyond the corner posts. Upon this frame-work lighter poles were laid side by side to form the platform of the cache-a platform that protruded beyond the corner posts so far that no animal which might succeed in climbing one of the pos

d, the two trappers gazed in satisfaction at their handiwork. The stout cache, capable of protecting several tons of meat from the inroa

ican Joe selected fifteen small steel traps which he placed in his pack sack. He also carried a light be

g gun. Tak' de leetle wan an' m

ck bears that don't like to fight? And what if we should see

et marten traps, an' if we com' on de bear

lynx in one of those sna

y. We go runnin' t'rough de woods every day same place, we scare everyt'ing off. Anyhow, we ain' need de big gun for de loup cervier. De l

fitted perfectly. The bait was placed upon the tree trunk just above the trap and a small barrier of bark was constructed close below the trap in such a manner that the marten in clambering over the barrier must almost to a certainty plant at least one fore foot upon the pan of the trap. The tra

sharpened and driven into the tree trunk to form a tiny platform for the trap. Some slabs were then cut from a nearby dead spruce and these also were sharpened and driven into the trunk on either side of the trap. Then a piece of bark was laid

ump and consisted of little houses made of bark, with the bait in the back and the trap placed between the door and the bait. In the case of these s

ut a depression in the snow. The trap was placed in the bottom of the depression and carefully covered with light, dry leaves that had been previously collected. 'Merican Joe took great care to so arrange these leaves that while the jaws, pan, and s

re the last set was made, and in the darkness the two s

y when you had to do all the work. Tomorrow I can help, and we ought to be abl

mile today. We use up de steel trap in 'bout fifteen mile. Dat g

nie. "How many traps a

We git de trap line 'bout fifty mile long

onnie stopped suddenly and pointed to a great grey shape that was running swiftly across the mouth of a

erect, motionless as a carved statue, until the sound trailed away into silence. A fox trotted out of the timber within ten yards of where the two stood watching and, catching sight of Connie as the boy shifted his twenty-two, turned and

ered Connie "Why didn

e. "He goin' far off an' run de ridges wit' de big people." And

e great dog until he disappeared upon the smooth, white surface of the lake w

ritical eye of 'Merican Joe. When the last trap was set, the Indian commenced the construction of deadfalls, and again Connie became a mere spectator. And a very interested spectator he was as he watched every movement of 'Merican Joe who, with only such material as came to hand on the spot,

ll de bait he mus' got to put de foot in de trap-but in de deadfall she got to grab de bait an' give de pull to spring de trap. But, de deadfal

overtook them, and the evening of the fourth day found them with an even two hundred traps and thirty lynx snares set, an

e, as they sat that night at their little table beside the roar

do you think we ought t

ll 'bout de luck-sometam lot o

an by a lot?" p

so, twenty-

every eight or ten t

an' catch wan marten, dat good. You set ten d

n the swamp to look at tomorrow.

one-mebbe-so one, two. Dat all tam be

ens before they're hatc

o the best of his ability the old saw, 'Merican Joe, who had never seen a chicken in h