ALONG FOUR-FOOTED TRAILS 



Joe!" I held the fork while Joe killed the 

 muskrats and set a trap in the hole we had 

 made, for he knew the other rats would return 

 in a short time and at once begin to repair their 

 damaged home and that we were quite sure of 

 getting another. I had felt the first thrilling 

 excitement of capturing a wild animal. Not 

 waiting for Joe, I ran to the next hut and thrust 

 the fork into the mound. Soon I heard the 

 animals scamper into the water. I had been 

 too eager and noisy and they all escaped. This 

 calmed me and I walked meekly by Joe's side, 

 with the remaining traps over my shoulder and 

 carrying the hatchet, without saying a word. 



In nearly every hut we caught one or two 

 muskrats. Once Joe pinned three. By noon 

 we had speared eighteen. Joe said we would 

 go back and examine the traps and we found 

 ten more, in this way making twenty-eight in 

 all. It was half past three when we sat down 

 on an old cock of dry hay with the pile of 

 muskrats in front of us. Joe took some sand- 

 wiches of rye bread and fried bacon out of his 

 pocket for our lunch. I was tired and very 

 hungry. How good the bread and meat tasted! 

 [154] 



