THE AMATEUR TRAPPERS 



231 



to the wise was sufficient; in other words, 

 a whisper to U. S., who quickly took in 

 the situation, and making ready with the 

 gun, awaited the approach of the highly 

 prized fur bearers. At that moment Mose, 

 hearing a slight commotion in the water 

 downstream, quickly glanced around, and 

 what he saw threatened to cause his eyes 

 to pop out of his head. Two more otters 

 were approaching from below. The boat 

 seemed surrounded by them. The otters 

 swam within 35 yards, when, apparently be- 

 coming aware of the boat and trappers for 

 the first time, they stopped and commenced 

 vigorously treading water and sniffing at 

 the strange object. It was a sight rarely 

 seen, 4 fine otters with their necks and 

 shoulders raised out of the water, sniffing 

 the air and splashing, in their efforts to 

 rise higher out of the water to satisfy their 

 curiosity. It was a clear case of rubber 

 neck, with fatal consequences; for Uncle 

 Snap, the commercial side of his nature be- 

 ing uppermost, fired twice, in quick suc- 

 cession, and a fine otter lay kicking on the 

 surface, while the others disappeared with 

 a boiling of water. A few swift strokes of 

 the paddle, and the otter was lifted safe 

 into the boat before he had a chance to 

 sink, which they do quickly when shot. 



"Didn't you shoot another one?" asked 

 Mose, roving his eye up and downstream 

 eagerly. 



"Yes ; and I know, almost that I hit 

 him," said U. S. "I had a " he was in- 

 terrupted by a choking, sputtering noise, 

 and turning, they beheld the otter in ques- 

 tion badly wounded, trying to crawl ashore 

 through the thick flags that lined the bank. 

 Another shot ended his sufferings, and as 

 t his sleek, glossy body was lifted over the 

 gunwale and laid beside his mate, the trap- 

 pers could hardly repress a yell of exulta- 

 tion. 



"Hooray!" shouted U. S. "The ice is 

 broken at last. We've made a beginning; 

 maybe we can do something now." 



"Gee, what fine fur!" said Mose. "Our 

 luck's toined, as Happy Hooligan says. 

 Let's hustle for the coon traps, and get back 

 to camp and case these otters." 



"Here goes" said U. S., plunging his pad- 

 dle into the water ; and under their strong 

 strokes the water boiled away from the 

 bow of the little boat. In half an hour 

 they reached the commencement of the line 

 of coon traps, and stealing carefully 

 through the swamp, their ears were glad- 

 dened by the jingle of a trap chain. Part- 

 ing the bushes, they beheld a fine ringtail 

 regarding a trap in a dissatisfied manner, 

 but a little bullet in the brain s-ent him 

 quickly to the happy hunting grounds. 



The next few traps were empty save for 

 the inevitable swamp rabbit. Then 3 more 

 coons, and finally, in the last trap, a dirty 



old red headed buzzard was flopping about. 

 He had attempted to steal the bait suspend- 

 ed over the trap, and had put his foot in it. 

 A close acquaintance with the filthy crea- 

 ture was not desirable, so cutting a pole, 

 they managed to press down the spring 

 enough to release the ill smelling prisoner, 

 who went hobbling off in the bushes. 



Two light hearted trappers paddled back 

 to camp, and on arrival they set to work 

 removing skins, and stretching them in the 

 proper manner. With the coons this was a 

 simple matter, but the otter had to be 

 cased, i.e., removed whole, without cutting 

 the skin, save splitting down the tail and 

 hind legs. It was well on toward evening 

 when the otter skins were stretched on 

 boards provided for the purpose, while the 

 coon hides decorated the trunk of the great 

 oak. 



"Who says we are not trappers ?" said 

 Mose, surveying their work with pride. 

 Uncle Snap was eying the carcass of the 

 'possum critically. 



"Say," sez he, "let's try him. We were 

 in such a rush to-day, we never got a mor- 

 sel of fresh meat, and he is fat as butter." 



"'Nuf sed," quoth pard, so the 'possum 

 was dressed, and parboiled enough to take 

 the varmint taste out of it, after which it 

 was placed in the oven, seasoned, and dec- 

 orated with slices of fat pork. After a 

 while, sweet 'taters were put with it for 

 company, and by the time these were baked 

 the 'possum was tender almost to the point 

 of falling to pieces, and an odor arose as 

 the lid was removed that would have 

 caused "Uncle Remus" to roll his eyes. 



"I've always had a kind of prejudice 

 against 'possum," said Mose, "but that 

 smell sweeps it away like fog before the 

 sun." 



"Good land, yes," said U. S. "My mind 

 is too broad and noble to harbor prejudice 

 in a case like this. If it tastes as good as 

 it smells, I'll be sorry we threw away the 

 tail." 



The 'possum was soon a thing oi the 

 past, and another dish was mentally added 

 to the bill of fare. 



Lounging about the fire before retiring, 

 the trappers discussed the good fortunes of 

 the day, and what the future might have in 

 store for them. 



The next day, after making the. round of 

 the traps, taking out 2 or 3 coons and the 

 customary quota of rabbits. Mose decided 

 to do some bait fishing, as the bass were 

 not evincing much eagerness to strike the 

 spinner, so, with a few little perch, the 

 result of an hour's patient angling with a 

 minnow hook and a dog fennel pole, he set 

 out for a certain deep bend a quarter of a 

 mile down the dead water, leaving U. S. 

 in camp, skinning coons. 



Arriving at the chosen spot, Mose baited 



