STORIES OF THE WOLVERINE. 105 



bait, to which is attached a string communicating 

 with the trigger. La Ronde assured us most solemnly 

 that on several occasions the carcajou had been far too 

 cunning for him, first approaching the gun and gnaw- 

 ing in two the cord communicating with the trigger, 

 and then securely devouring the bait. 



In one instance, when every device to deceive his 

 persecutor had been at once seen through, and utterly 

 futile, he adopted the plan of placing the gun in a 

 tree, with the muzzle pointing vertically downwards 

 upon the bait. This was suspended from a branch, 

 at such a height that the animal could not reach it 

 without jumping. The gun was fastened high up m 

 the tree, completely screened from view by the 

 branches. Now, the wolverine is an animal troubled 

 with exceeding curiosity. He investigates every- 

 thing; an old moccasin thrown aside in the bushes, 

 or a knife lost in the snow, are ferreted out and 

 examined, and an3rfching suspended almost out of 

 reach generally offers an irresistible temptation. But 

 in the case related by La Ronde the carcajou restrained 

 his curiosity and hunger for the time, climbed the 

 tree, cut the cords which bound the gun, which 

 thus tumbled harmless to the ground, and then, 

 descending, secured the bait without danger. Poison 

 and all kinds of traps having already failed, La Ronde 

 was fairly beaten and driven off the ground. 



For the truth of this particular story we, of course, 

 do not pretend to vouch, but would merely observe 

 that our own subsequent experience fully proved the 

 wolverine to be an animal of wonderful sagacity 



