98 A MISCHIEVOUS CARCAJOU. 



the ground, and presently he lifted from behind some 

 bushes the scare-wolf which had been placed beside the 

 carcass on the previous night. 



" I mout 'a guessed that all-fired crittur did the job ! " 

 he exclaimed. "Hyur's the thing we rigged up to 

 scare the wolves; an' may Plumcentre turn into a 

 smooth-bore ef he hasn't hidden it behint the bush 

 arter helpin' hisself ! " 



" What beast do you mean ? " asked Gaultier. 



"What beast?" replied the old trapper; "I guess 

 thur's only the one hyurabout would play us such a 

 dirty trick. 'Twur a carcajou as did it. I wish thur 

 wur a pound o' pison in his stomach. You bet high 

 he's jest made tracks right away for t'other buffler. 

 I've knowed one o' them horrid brutes to foller up a 

 line o' traps for fifty mile, and dig out the bait, or 

 swaller the beast inside, 'ithout springin' the trigger. 

 When the critter had stuffed hisself an' went off, I 

 guess the wolves fell to an' finished the job. See, 

 they've med raggles o' the hide from the tail to the 

 nose, rot 'em !" 



Both hunters now followed their track of the previous 

 night, and after missing the direction once or twice, 

 they came upon the carcass of the third bison. As Jake 

 had apprehended, their cunning enemy the wolverine 

 had found out this also ; and, as if in sheer wantonness, 

 he had torn and disfigured the meat as much as possible, 

 and had hidden away the bladder and stick which 

 Jake had planted over the body. 



