334: THE THIEF DISCOVERED. 



" The sun was, may be, an hour high, when lookin' along 

 the line of marked trees, I saw a black animal come trotting 

 mighty softly towards the trap I was watchin'. I knew him 

 at once. He was a black fox, and I knew that he was the 

 gentleman that had been makin' free with my property for 

 the last few days. He trotted up to the trap, and walked 

 carefully around it, nosin' out towards the bait, but keepin' 

 out from under the pole. He seemed to understand what 

 that pole meant, and that if it fell on him, he'd be very 

 likely to be hurt. After a little, he trotted^out to the other 

 end of the pole, and gettin' on to it, walked carefully along 

 to within ten or twelve feet of the bait ; if he didn't begin 

 jumpin' up and down till he sprung the trap, you may shoot 

 me. When he'd done that job, he went back, and gettin' 

 hold of the bait with his teeth, drew it out and began very 

 cooly to eat it. By this time I'd brought my rifle to bear 

 upon the gentleman, but I gave him a little law, to see what 

 his next move would be. After he'd finished the bait, and 

 found there warn't any more to be come at, he stretched 

 himself on his belly along the ground, and began lickin' his 

 paws, and passing them over his cheeks, as you've seen a 

 cat do. After he'd washed his face awhile, he sat himself 

 down on his haunches, curled his long bushy tail around his 

 feet, and looked about as if considerin' what he should do 

 next. Just then I paid my respects to him, and as my rifle 

 broke the stillness of the forest, he turned a double summer- 

 set, and after kickin' around a little, laid still. I came down 



