parations were going on looking to their having

but then, George has agreed to start in again later on, and pile up more stock

emanded the said George; "because you've got the gift of gab dow

uld chop a whole lot mo

h as you did. Now, since Elmer and Lil Artha have tramped so far, and lugged this splendid young buck all the way into the

feel so weak as I do now, and then we'll

time he had had to undertake such a task; and besides, he had watched other hu

anaged to resurrect from some hiding place or other, and from the appetizing odor that soon began to rise it was evident that they were going to have a great feast. Other "chunks" of meat were thrus

out it, as experience is needed to get the best results from anything; but in spite of their labor they found that while the meat cooked, and even burned on the outside, it was almost raw

the meal was over. Indeed Toby showed a desire to hug his blanket, and doze in the warmth of the fire, so that

able to gather; and besides, he was so constituted that he could not bear

amed by all this honest toil on the part of his three mates, also strolled for

eceding night but then as there was no storm in progress now they

chet before starting on this trip, Elmer," George rem

f the time. As there are no nails to strike in this wood, and every chopper is warned to keep clear of stones, that edge ought to hold good through the whole vacation time. A

sed a desire to relieve a comrade who had begun to show evident signs of weariness. Perhaps by slow

to him, and that he did love the good old summer-time to be outdoors, while the crickets, katydids, frogs, and everything else kept up a friendly chorus, that helped a f

d them from the air, but under their blankets to separate them from the ground, and serve to keep the dampness away. The heat of the fire was apt to melt the surrounding snow to some extent; and the warmth of their bod

d to awaken frequently enough to keep the fire from going out; so that with the blessing of

n. George must have dreamed that some trouble had descended upon them, because the very first thing he did after crawling out of his blanket was to hurry over to where they had fastened the balance of t

, because here's the rest of the meat, as plain as anything. Must have eaten too much, and had the nightmar

ching and listening from behind the folds of his blanket; and even Tob

cold, and of course they were furiously hungry again; boys always are wh

e was an abundance for all? Quantity and not so much quality was what pleased those four outdoor chums just then. There was a

was in any great hurry to abandon it, and talked the matter dry from all sides. Every one gave expression to his opinion,

uld get any answer. Should Professor Caleb hear the shots he would be very apt to reply,

e border of the marsh. That was most likely to be one of the places where the old trapper and wild animal photographe

ike interval. In this way the required three shots were sent forth; and Elmer assured his comrades that this had always been reckoned a call for help everywhere,

sun, and was making various queer noises among the treetops; but still it would have be

se he was the very first one to get what Lil Artha called "cold feet,

once more, Elmer?

and p'raps we'll need every bit we'

efore utterly condemning it; so having replaced the empty shells he and the tall boy again sent ou

had caught a faint hello; but as it was not repeated he concluded it may have been some distant owl g

to carry the sound of the shots to him. So we could judge from that our best course is to make agai

evident that he did not have very much faith in such a thing as success coming to them. And yet if it did, George could be c

l Artha, as they trudged laboriously along, "but in this case I took notice that none of us seemed t

o us I didn't have the heart to throw snow on the same. It'd seemed too much like calling a dog to you, patting him on the head after he came, wagging his tail in a friendly way

thing keeps on we'll be likely to spend all our midwint

ood time at his cabin, learning all about trapping, and p'raps going out with him nights to use his

ething's sure to turn up to-day; and before another night we'll be toasting our feet in front of a fire in

. And to think I was ready to own up I'd missed my deer, only for you, Elmer. That taught me a lesson I'll never

ng sure, every tim

y told him. "They don't fool you very often,

ily, Elmer was seen to betray sudden interest, and to quicken his footsteps. Then he turned, and beckoned

snow yonder, boys; look and see

very hard, and Lil Artha

animal switching around like it

is the thing looks a sort of silver gray or black. There,

ted a trap right here, and a fox is caught i

none of us ever saw a fox of that color before. Eve

ut master remarked, "and we'll

without success. It was undoubtedly a good-sized fox, for they could not mistake that bushy tail, an

dmitted, "though different from any I ever

as a rule. A red fox may be worth all the way from five to thirty dollars, but from what I've read about the value

tounded; and of course he did not believe what Elmer was sa

" Lil Artha admitted, "and so this is one, is it? Well, Uncle Caleb mu

used to, just to pass the winters away, but when he got interested in photography he said he found ten times as much pleasure in creeping up on them, and shooting with a ca

e closer, and examined

ld be likely to gnaw that paw off in order to get free. They often do this. You see the cruel jaws of the trap mutilate their leg, and pain so much when they struggle that in desp

f he'd been an ordinary red fox Uncle Caleb might never have bothered setting this trap, and he could have gone right along making his suppers off partridges and such nice things, or else chickens belonging to