176 FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



We went up along a hollow that led to the top of a high ridge 

 where we had a bear trap setting and where I thought was the 

 most likely place to catch a bear, but found the trap undisturbed. 



We next crossed a narrow ridge where we had another trap. 

 The trap was set in a spring run and the banks on either side of 

 the run were quite thickly grown up with low brush. Smoky was 

 in advance a few steps so that when he came to the edge of the 

 thick brush that grew on the bank of the run, parted the brush and 

 looked through at the trap, he caught a glimpse of some black 

 object moving in the run. He quickly stepped back and held up 

 his hand, his eyes sparkling with excitement and he whispered to 

 me, "By Moses, we have got him." Smoky being given to much 

 joking, I asked, "What have we got?" for I had not heard any 

 noise of any kind. Smoky said, "A bear, by long horn spoon- 

 handle." I stepped past Smoky and looked through the brush and 

 there was a large black porcupine moving about a little in the trap. 



I stepped back and said to Smoky, "Well, shoot him." Smoky 

 said, "No, I will miss him. You shoot him," at the same time 

 handing me the gun. I now saw that Smoky was in earnest and 

 surely thought we had a bear and I burst out with laughter. Smoky 

 was amazed and said, ''You blooming simpleton, what is the matter 

 with you?" ihe look of anxiety and the manner in which Smoky 

 spoke still caused me to laugh the harder. 



When I could cease laughing long enough to tell Smoky what 

 was in the trap, Smoky's change of looks of excitement and 

 anxiety to one of disgust was pitiful. Smoky began to condemn 

 the country and tell how foolish we were to come to such a for- 

 saken place as that was to trap where there was nothing but 

 porcupines. 



After resetting the trap we went on to the third trap, which 

 was setting about a mile farther north. It was necessary to cross 

 two narrow ridges in order to reach the trap. Smoky was in a 

 moody state of mind and lagged along behind, hunting partridges, 

 killing two or three. 



When we reached the top of the second ridge and the trap 

 was in. the hollow beyond, I heard some sort of a noise where 

 the trap was setting, but I was unable to tell what it was. Smoky 



