SETTING STEEL TRAPS 



the fact that at this point fhe Kankakee flows 

 the farthest north of its entire course. At this 

 point there is an opening through the timber to 

 the river. They ascended the river a few miles. 

 When night came upon them they landed on a 

 small ridge near the mouth of Crooked Creek. 

 They soon had a frail camp and a glowing camp 

 fire. When they landed on the ridge Brainard 

 shot two young fox squirrels and with what pro- 

 visions they had brought with them they soon 

 had a good supper. After supper they gathered 

 up some withered herbage, spread their blankets 

 and lay down for a night's rest in the lone, si- 

 lent, solitary, stillness of the Kankakee swamps, 

 to be lured to sleep by the hoot-owl, the howl- 

 ing of the wolves and the splashing of the musk- 

 rats in the water near the camp. This was the 

 first night's experience of two of the oldest trap- 

 pers in years of service on the Kankakee. On 

 the following day they set out their -traps and 

 looked for a suitable place to build their shanty. 

 Mr. Folsom took part of the traps and went up 



37 



