104 ANOTHER ATTEMPT, 



" You know," said Pierre, " he said last night that he 

 didn't expect to catch him so soon." 



Jake now sat by the fire, and Pierre, seeing him in 

 good humour, ventured to ask him for the events of 

 his morning's trip. 



" Twur jest as I calc'lated," he replied. " The reptile 

 bored a hole under the trap from the back, an' took 

 out as fine a marten as I iver sot eyes on, an' I've seed 

 a lot o' the critters. He jest tore him to raggles an' 

 left a piece o' him hyur an' thur round the pen. But 

 he'll try that dodge once too often. He tuck the bait 

 too, but I cudn't see whur he cached that." 



While the party continued to eat their meal, a pack 

 of ruffed grouse rose with a whir from some rough 

 grass and sailed away over the trees, but with indica- 

 tions that they did not mean to fly far. Old Jake, 

 uttering an exclamation, seized his rifle, and disappeared 

 in the direction taken by the birds. Before the boys 

 could make any remark on this sudden movement, they 

 heard the crack of the hunter's rifle, and he presently 

 returned in a leisurely manner towards the fire, dangling 

 a grouse by the neck. 



"This critter 11 make a bait," he observed, as he 

 resumed his meal, which he concluded in silence. The 

 curiosity of the young men was next aroused by seeing 

 the old trapper take from his " possible sack " a piece 

 of stout wire about a foot in length, furnished at one 

 end with a strong hook, such as is used for sea-fishing. 

 After some further rummaging he produced a similar 



