274 CANADIAN WILDS. 



Eobert thought this plan a good one as it 

 would expedite matters for he and his compan- 

 ion to make a quick trip. When, however, he 

 got back to the place after an absence of about 

 forty hours and found the skin and meat lying 

 where he had left them and no sign of Ealson, 

 he was quick to understand that something had 

 happened. What that something was, however, 

 he was at a loss to settle in his mind. All at 

 once, while standing there considering, the 

 thought struck him that possibly Ealson was 

 caught in the other trap. Such things had hap- 

 pened to men accustomed to trapping and how 

 much more likely to a careless fellow like the 

 missing man. 



Giving expression to his thought Eobert and 

 his companion both hurried off towards the 

 other trap, which was about a mile up the creek. 

 When they came to a soft place on the trail and 

 saw only the footprints of a man going and none 

 returning, Eobert was convinced the poor fel- 

 low was in the trap, whether alive or dead they 

 refrained from contemplating. What a sight 

 met their gaze when coming in sight of the bear 

 pen! There was poor Ealson lying prone on 

 his back motionless and to all appearances 

 dead, the great, heavy mass of metal fast to his 

 leg and his pocket knife with broken blade lying 

 near at hand, evidently thrown there as useless. 



