204 WILD SPORTS IN THE SOUTH. 



his escape. I followed his track the next day in the 

 light snow that lay on the ground, and it led in a straight 

 line to the pond from whence I came. I set my trap 

 again, but though I tempted him with the rosiest of 

 apples, he never was induced to enter. At this time the 

 pond in which he resided froze over, and gave me an 

 opportunity of getting out to the centre, where he had 

 built for himself a dome as classically correct as the Pan- 

 theon. I confided my secret to a comrade, and we con- 

 sulted an old work of the Northwest Fur Trade, and 

 there learned the Indian manner of catching these ani- 

 mals. We accordingly provided ourselves with a small 

 net, and going down to the pond with a pickaxe, when 

 school was out, we commenced a regular siege. First we 

 cut four holes in the ice, at opposite sides of, and close by 

 the house ; then with bent sticks I pushed the corners of 

 the net through the holes, and my comrade fastened 

 them at the four corners, thus stretching the net beneath 

 the house in such a manner as to prevent the animal 

 diving down in the water. By the time this advance 

 had been effected it began to grow dark, so I hastily 

 with my pickaxe cut a hole in the top of the house and 

 looked in. There was nothing there but the materials 

 for a warm bed, that had been occupied not long since. 

 I pulled away the partition that divided the interior, but 

 could see nothing. I put my hand in to feel, and was 

 rewarded with a gripe from an admirable set of incisors 

 that have left their impress on my hand to this day, and 

 pulling out my arm, I pulled out my captive of the night 



