232 ZOOLOGICAL SKETCHES. 



whose caresses at last composed their overwrought 

 feelings. 



Their comrades in the mean time encroached upon the 

 old man's claim till he got up to reconnoitre the rear of 

 the trampa. Not a crumb was in sight, but his sense of 

 smell seemed to reveal the riches within, for, after a care- 

 ful examination of the bottom-board, he raised his head 

 with an impatient jerk and a glance in the direction of 

 the farm-house : " A sad comment on modern hospitality 

 and Christian civilization !" 



The party at the other end crowded around the 

 entrance and grinned at each other with excitement. 

 The trampa had been baited with meladas, ripe corn- 

 ears boiled in treacle : the corn alone would have been 

 enticing enough, but the syrup made it so nearly irresist- 

 ible that every now and then one of the tempted capu- 

 chins had to ease his nerves by a rush to the rear or 

 a spring against the picket-fence. The return of the 

 sachem saved them from greater indiscretions, for some 

 of them had already begun to me'asure the depth of the 

 box with their outstretched arms. Before long, how- 

 ever, their impatience revived: the junior members of 

 the conference seemed to advocate an attack en masse, 

 but before matters came to a crisis a new-comer appeared 

 on the stage, a lank and hungry-looking stranger, who 

 seemed to have emerged from an elder-coppice behind 

 the fence. For a minute or two he watched the pro- 

 ceedings in silence, and then marched straight upon the 



