48 Ways of Wood Folk. 



plainly showed; then dragged them away into the 

 underbrush and left them. 



Simmo's wrath when he at last found the precious 

 garments was comical to behold ; when he wore 

 them with their new polka-dot pattern, it was still 

 more comical. Why the rabbits did it I could never 

 quite make out. The overalls were very dirty, very 

 much stained with everj^thing from a clean trout to 

 tobacco crumbs ; and, as there was nothing about 

 them for a rabbit to eat, we concluded that it was 

 just one of Br'er Rabbit's pranks. That night Simmo. 

 to avenge his overalls, set a deadfall supported by a 

 piece of cord, which he had soaked in molasses and 

 salt. Which meant that Bunny would nibble the cord 

 for the salt that was in it, and bring the log down 

 hard on his own back. So I had to spring it, while 

 Simmo slept, to save the little fellow's life and learn 

 more about him. 



Up on the ridge above our tent was a third tiny 

 clearing, where some trappers had once made their 

 winter camp. It was there that I watched the rabbits 

 one moonlight night from my seat on an old log, just 

 within the shadow at the edge of the opening. The 

 first arrival came in with a rush. There was a sudden 

 scurry behind me, and over the log he came with a 

 flying leap that landed him on the smooth bit of 

 ground in the middle, where he whirled around and 



