Bingo 



pony, and seeing some fine sand near by, I 

 reached out for a handful of it to add a good 

 finish to the setting. 



Oh, unlucky thought ! Oh, mad heedless- 

 ness born of long immunity ! That fine sand 

 was on the next wolf-trap and in an instant I 

 was a prisoner. Although not wounded, for 

 the traps have no teeth, and my thick trapping 

 gloves deadened the snap, I was firmly caught 

 across the hand above the knuckles. Not 

 greatly alarmed at this, I tried to reach the 

 trap-wrench with my right foot. Stretching 

 out at full length, face downward, I worked 

 myself toward it, making my imprisoned 

 arm as long and straight as possible. I 

 could not see and reach at the same time, but 

 counted on my toe telling me when I touched 

 the little iron key to my fetters. My first effort 

 was a failure ; strain as I might at the chain my 

 toe struck no metal. I swung slowly around 

 my anchor, but still failed. Then a painfully 

 taken observation showed I was much too far to 

 the west. I set about working around, tapping 

 blindly with my toe to discover the key. Thus 

 wildly groping with my right foot I forgot 



177 



