THE TRAPPING OF WOLVERINE 131 



&quot; Why don t you try the strychnine on him ? &quot; 

 asked Roderick. 



&quot; Dat no use,&quot; declared the enraged Trapper ; 

 &quot; when I put poison in de bait, Carcajou come, 

 smell him, den he do some dirty trick on it for 

 make me swear. But I catc him soor I put 

 de gun wid pull-string.&quot; 



He spent the greater part of the next day 

 arranging a muzzle-loading shot gun, with a trade 

 ball in it, for the destruction of the animal who 

 had stolen his venison. Fra^ois had seen Wol 

 verine s own private little path for coming up the 

 bank of the Pelican, and on this he staked down 

 the gun and put some pine logs on either side, so 

 that Carcajou must take the bait from in front. 

 The gun was left cocked, with a string attached 

 to the trigger ; on the string, just at the muzzle, 

 was tied a piece of Caribou meat. 



Wolverine chuckled when he saw the arrange 

 ment. &quot; Poor old Fran9ois ! &quot; he muttered 

 ironically : &quot; this is really too bad ; it s actual 

 robbery to take that Bait it s so easy.&quot; 



Now this little wood-dweller had a most decided 

 streak of vanity in his make-up. Like many really 

 smart men, he liked to show off his cunning 

 that was his weakness. &quot; This is a good chance 

 to give some of the others an object lesson,&quot; he 

 said to himself, sitting down to wait for an 



