102 CANADIAN WILDS. 



overcome this difficulty by placing catches of 

 traps at different places by canoe near where he 

 proposes to have his line in the winter; and he 

 can then branch off now and again for a new 

 supply as he is setting up his trap road. 



This leaving the main road at right angles 

 once in a while might even be a source of profit 

 to the trapper, for he might come across a bear 

 den or a beaver lodge, or fall on deer tracks, and 

 if he succeeded in killing a deer some of the 

 sinewy parts would come in to bait his traps. 



The taking of the skins of these little ani- 

 mals is very simple. The knife is used only 

 about the head; once back of the ears the skin 

 is drawn steadily until the tail is reached, the 

 core of which is drawn out, either by a split 

 stick or by the stiff thumb nail of the trapper. 

 The skin is then dried on flat (three) splints, 

 and when dried sufficiently to prevent it spoil- 

 ing is tied up with others to the number of ten 

 in each bundle, and are thus taken to the trader 

 or fur dealer. 



The first purchaser from the trapper gener- 

 ally buys them at an average price, but he sells 

 them to the manufacturer selected; that is, get- 

 ting a high price for the dark and a low price for 

 the yellow or pale. 



