Some Queer Catches. 



against my leg, and when I started off followed me a few steps, 

 but suddenly disappeared and I never saw him again. 



The next experience was one in which my partner had a 

 rather narrow escape. We were both youngsters at the time. 

 The weather turned suddenly cold one night and "froze in" 

 several traps that we had set under water along the Little 

 Beaver. In the afternoon the ice got thick enough so it would 

 bear, and Charlie thought he would go over the line and cut 

 them out. He had recovered and re-set most of his traps, and 

 was getting along so nicely that he grew a little careless. In 

 cutting a hole, he would cut it just large enough to admit his 

 arm ; then put his hand down and locate the trap, before mak- 

 ing the hole large enough to work in. He got to his last trap, 

 and, cutting a small hole, shoved his hand down into the wa- 

 ter, and it went plunk into the jaws of the trap, which closed on 

 two of his fingers with a snap. He was not much frightened 

 at first, as he thought he could enlarge the hole, withdraw the 

 trap and release his hand. On looking around for his hatchet, 

 he found that he had thrown it on the ice carelessly and it had 

 slid clear out of his reach. He now fully realized his position 

 and was badly frightened. Two of his fingers were firmly fixed 

 in a strong mink trap ; the trap was anchored beneath the ice ; 

 a cold winter night was coming on, the woods were full of 

 wolves, and he must either freeze, furnish a supper for the 

 wolves, or part with his fingers. After making another fruit- 

 less effort, he gave it up and looked around for some other 

 means of release from his predicament. Noticing his gun lying 

 near, a new idea struck him. It was a calm night and perhaps 

 by firing off his gun he could attract my attention. After a 

 hard effort he succeeded in getting hold of it, and fired two 

 shots. I heard them at camp, but, as it was no unusual thing, 

 paid no attention to it. Getting some shells in his gun, he fired 

 again, and kept it up as fast as he could load and fire. Hearing 

 these continuous reports, I knew something was wrong, and, 

 shouldering my gun, struck off up-creek toward the seat of 

 trouble. When I came in sight of Charlie, there he was on his 



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