THE SNOW-WALKERS. 63 



other mortals, he presently digs freely among the 

 ashes, and, finding a fresh supply of the delectable 

 morsels every night, is soon thrown off his guard, 

 and his suspicions quite lulled. After a week of 

 baiting in this manner, and on the eve of a light fall 

 of snow, the trapper carefully conceals his trap in the 

 bed, first smoking it thoroughly with hemlock boughs 

 ;o kill or neutralize all smell of the iron. If the 

 weather favors and the proper precautions have been 

 taken, he may succeed, though the chances are still 

 greatly against him. 



Reynard is usually caught very lightly, seldom 

 more than the ends of his toes being between the 

 jaws. He sometimes works so cautiously as to spring 

 the trap without injury even to his toes ; or may re- 

 move the cheese night after night without even 

 springing it. I knew an old trapper who, on finding 

 himself outwitted in this manner, tied a bit of cheese 

 to the pan, and next morning had poor Reynard by 

 the jaw. The trap is not fastened, but only encum- 

 bered with a clog, and is all the more sure in its hold 

 by yielding to every effort of the animal to extricate 

 himself. 



When Reynard sees his captor approaching, he 

 would fain drop into a mouse-hole to render himself 

 invisible. He crouches to the ground and remains 

 oerfectly motionless until he perceives himself discov- 

 ered, when he makes one desperate and final effort to 

 escape, but ceases all struggling as you come up, and 

 ftehaves in a manner that stamps him a very timid 



