The second was gone. Quonab said, with surprise in his voice,
"Deer!" Yes, truly, there was the record. A deer -- a big one --
had come wandering past; his keen nose soon apprised him of a
strong, queer appeal near by. He had gone unsuspiciously toward
it, sniffed and pawed the unaccountable and exciting nose
medicine; then "snap!" and he had sprung a dozen feet, with that
diabolic smell-thing hanging to his foot. Hop, hop, hop, the
terrified deer had gone into a slashing windfall. Then the drag
had caught on the logs, and, thanks to the hard and taper hoofs,
the trap had slipped off and been left behind, while the deer had
sought safer regions.
In the next trap they found a beautiful marten dead, killed at
once by the clutch of steel. The last trap was gone, but the
tracks and the marks told a tale that any one could read; a fox
had been beguiled and had gone off, dragging the trap and log.
Not far did they need to go; held in a thicket they found him,
and Rolf prepared the mid-day meal while Quonab gathered the
pelt. After removing the skin the Indian cut deep and carefully
into the body of the fox and removed the bladder.
Pages:
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211