102 NOT WITHOUT HOPE. 



I thought you went to catch him, and I don't see 

 him." 



" Ye'll see the critter soon enuff, young f ellur a con- 

 siderable sight sooner than ef ee wur to go pokin' 

 round a-lookin' for him yersel'." 



" How did you manage, Jake ? " asked Pierre ; " what 

 kind of trap did you make ? You know we are young 

 hands at this kind of work, and expect to learn from 

 your greater experience." 



This was a placebo to the trapper's amour propre, 

 which had been somewhat ruffled by the tone of 

 Gaultier's inquiry. "I reckin," he replied, "that my 

 exper'ence 'ud make a good hunter out o' the greenest 

 tenderfoot iver got loose from his mammy's apron- 

 strings. 'T would so ! But this nigger's not so green 

 as to expect to take that carcajou the fust go-oft'. I 

 guess I'll let him nibble at the bait a bit, jest to kinder 

 encourage him. I'll walk over in the mornin' an' hev 

 a squint at what the skunk's been about. I'm a'most 

 sartin he'll chaw up the bait I've sot up an' I hope 

 he diz ! Ef he diz, I reckin this coon '11 walk into the 

 varmint pretty slick." 



" Why, Jake," said Pierre, " you haven't poisoned the 

 bait, have you ? You know they can smell that dodge." 



" I hain't pisoned it," answered the hunter ; " but I 

 guess you'll see soon enuff what I'm up to. Seein's 

 beleevin', they say." 



The boys, perceiving that Jake was uncommunicative, 

 allowed the subject to drop; but they were nevertheless 



