CHAPTER X 



THE LONE TRAIL 



l" Thou knowest winter tames man, woman, and beast." 



Taming of the Shrew. 



" Under this thick green brake we'll shroud ourselves ; 

 For through this laund anon the deer will come." 



Henry VI. 



Cretney's trap-line was a lengthy one, far longer 

 than any usually worked by one man. It took 

 more than a week to traverse from end to end, 

 which was one reason why the wolverines of the 

 neighbourhood kept in such excellent condition. 

 They followed the marten-hunter faithfully as he 

 went his round, not because they liked the taste of 

 marten, but from sheer depravity, a desire to steal 

 bait, and tear trapped beasts to bits and bury them 

 in the snow for the foxes to unearth. Clever and 

 suspicious enough to detect the presence of any 

 sort of a trap, the " gluttons " themselves rarely fell 

 victims. When, by some extraordinary mischance, 



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