THE TRAPPING OF BLACK FOX 151 



Arrived there Franois pulled the snow from 

 under the gentle crust with his scraper for a space 

 of six or eight feet, leaving a miniature cave 

 under the frozen shell. Into this he shoved 

 two strong steel Traps, and using a long stick 

 emptied the Muskrat pouch of its meat just 

 above. 



&quot; Now, Mister S arp-nose,&quot; muttered the 

 Breed, &quot; I t ink me you no smell not ing but 

 Meat. You don t like smell Fran9ois, eh ? For 

 dat I give me de Mus rat smell for you 



nose.&quot; 



Backing away from his work the Half-breed 

 carefully smoothed down the snow into his tracks 

 for a long distance, then filling his pipe, lighted 

 it, and trudged back to the Shack to await the 

 success of this ruse. When Black King came up 

 the wind, winding up the meat-scent like a ball 

 of yarn, he struck a new combination. There 

 were no evidences of Man s handicraft ; no Trap 

 insight no baited gun; no Marten stockade; 

 no bent sapling with a hungry noose dangling to 

 it ; but there were undoubtedly two nice, juicy, 

 appetizing pieces of meat lying on top of the 

 undisturbed snow-crust. 



Black Fox sat down and surveyed the surround 

 ing territory critically ; cocked his sharp eyes and 

 sharper nose toward all points of the compass. 



