CHAPTER XII. 



THE TWIN LAKES SETTING BEAVER-TRAPS THE WOLVERINE THE HUNTERS 

 DETERMINE TO TRAP THE WOLVERINE AN AMBUSH IN A PINE TREE NIGHT 

 IN THE FOREST BEAVER-TRAPPING STRUGGLES OF A BEAVER OLD JAKE'S 

 MISADVENTURE HIS STORY OF HIS FIRST BUFFALO THE "TIGHTEST PLACE" 

 JAKE WAS EVER IN CHASED BY INDIANS A FEARFUL LEAP EAGLE JACK 

 AND JAKE MAKE THEIR ESCAPE. 



EARLY on the ensuing morning, while yet the gray 

 twilight half hid and half revealed the forest paths, the 

 hunters arrived at the scene of their labours. 



As beavers always work during the night, it was 

 necessary to begin the work of laying down the traps 

 early, in order that this task might be completed be- 

 fore the shades of evening lured forth the animals to 

 their nocturnal labours. 



The party made a cautious circuit of the lake, show- 

 ing themselves as little as possible ; and as they came 

 upon a " run," deposited their traps in it beneath the 

 water and close to the bank. The chain of each trap 

 was secured either to a stout stake driven into the 

 bank, or to a convenient tree-root. A buckskin thong, 

 with a piece of light wood attached, was secured to 

 each trap and formed a float, the object of which was 

 to indicate the position of the beaver, should the 



