874 
SABLE, 
tlic track of the sable, in snow shoes, till they have 
detected his covert, which is generally a burrow in 
the earth. As soon as the little creature is aware 
of his pursuers, he escapes into some hollow tree ; 
which the hunters surround with a net, and then 
either cut it entirely down, or force the animal 
by fire and smoke to abandon his retreat, when he 
falls into the net and is killed. They sometimes 
surround the tree in which a sable is lodged, with 
dogs trained for the purpose ; and then, making a 
running noose on a pretty strong cord, find means 
to get the creature’s head into the snare, and thus 
haul him down an easy prey. 
In other parts, where these animals are less com - 
mon, the contrivances to take them are more artifi- 
cial. Of this kind is the sable-trap of the Vogules* 
which is used in several parts of Siberia : — a place 
is found where two young trees stand not far asun- 
der. These are immediately stripped of their 
branches about the bottom ; and near one of them 
a post is stuck into the ground, on w hich a beam 
is placed horizontally, so fastened to both trees* 
that one end of it lies between the post and the 
tree. Over this beam another is laid, as a trap- 
fall ; at the end of which a thin support is put, 
which, when the trap- fall is up, stands over the 
notched end of the post. At the extremity of the 
support is a mat-string, and another at the lower 
transverse beam, tied very short. Both are brought 
together ; and a stick is put through them, having 
at its lower extremity a piece of flesh or wild fowl 
attached, which, by its preponderance, keeps the 
stick down, and thus holds the two strings together. 
The sable creeps cautiously along the lower beam, 
till he can reach the bait, and pull it to him ; tliis 
looses the stick to which the bait is tied, and by 
which the strings were held together ; the stay slips 
