54 pioneer life; ok, 



bnt when we were n ar enough, we could generally 

 take it from them. 



In the months of June and July we could often 

 see from two to five hundred fish sunning themselves 

 in the shoal water. The wildcats would stand watch- 

 ing them, and when they approached near enough to 

 the shore, they would seize and bring out as many 

 as three fish each, before they could escape. The 

 black fox would sometimes dive in water two feet 

 deep, and bring out fish. The red and silver tail 

 foxes did not dive, but watched along the shore and 

 took the fish in the same manner as the wildcats. 

 We never killed them when we saw them fishing, 

 as their skins were not as valuable then as in the fall 

 and winter, but we would often shout and alarm them, 

 to see them run. At the proper season, whe • their 

 •kins were good, we used to trap them. * We began 

 o trap for foxes about the beginning of November, 

 waiting with fish, which we found to be the best bait. 

 We would roast an eel and trail it throug the snow 

 for some distance to the trap, and they would follow 

 the scent. We found this to be the most successful 

 manner of securing them. 



