caught at the base of his bill. He had sprung 

 Sf/>e OfBeecfi ^^ *^^P ^^ pecking at some corn that was 

 \y^a'frid^e fastened cunningly to the pan by fine wire. 

 ^|k When I took the jay carefully from the 



trap he played possum till my grip relaxed, 

 when he flew to a branch over my head, squall- 

 ing and upbraiding me for having anything 

 to do with such abominable inventions. 



I hung the trap to a low limb of the cedar, 

 with a note in its jaws telling Johnnie to 

 come and see me next day. He came at dusk, 

 shamefaced, and I read him 

 on fair play and the 

 difference between 

 a thieving mink and 

 an honest partridge. 

 But he chuckled 

 over the blue jay, 

 and I doubted the 

 withholding power 

 of a lecture; so, to 

 even matters, I hint- 

 ■A^^,A ed of an otter 



'ju'^/pfc, slide I had 

 "Mr, discovered, 



