THE TEAPPEE'S STOEY. A SAD INCIDENT. 71 



Last April, when the snow was on the ground, I laid 

 out the traps we have to -clay lifted. The travelling was 

 very bad at the time, for it was near the break-up of 

 winter. I got along the ridge all right; but as I thought 

 it better to return as I had come, I determined to retrace 

 my steps. I had scarcely faced homewards when I found, 

 to my surprise, the print of an animal following my old 

 track. I looked in every direction to see where the 

 follower could be, but was unable to detect him. However, 

 I knew well that the skulking villain was no other than a 

 painter (Anglice, puma) ; and as I had only my old single- 

 barrel loaded with bird shot, I became justly scared. All 

 of a tremble, I continued my course, and you may bet I 

 made tracks. The very evidence of the brute following me 

 showed he was after no good, and I was right ; for as I 

 drew near the outside edge of the swamp I saw him right 

 ahead ; but I went out of the way to avoid him, and after 

 I left the wood I heard him howl, doubtless in anger 

 because he had missed making supper off me. 



At the time I could not help thinking that my host had 

 been needlessly alarmed, and told him so, when he informed 

 me that nothing would have induced him to return alone 

 in fact, that he would sooner have lost his traps than do 

 so ; that a painter in those regions, more especially in 

 winter, was much to be dreaded, and in corroboration 

 informed me of a little tragedy that occurred some years 

 past in the same neighbourhood. Two friends once 

 trapped the township of Success. They had two beats, 

 running in reverse directions, while the shanty in which 

 they both lived together was situated at the dividing point 



