CHAPTER XIII.
A GLIMPSE OF THE SILVER FOX.
There was no audacious bobcat around to worry them that night. Steve hadindeed, as Owen said, "laid the jabberwock low," when he discharged bothbarrels of his shotgun at once.
They were all under obligations to Steve. Every time that lame shoulderof his gave him a more severe twinge than usual he could, figurativelyspeaking, of course, shake hands with himself.
It is a great thing to be a public benefactor. There was Bandy-legs, forinstance, who, much to his own inconvenience, had shown Trapper Jim andthe rest just how easy it would be for some animal to drop down thewide-throated chimney during the absence of the cabin's owner and playhavoc within.
The panic excited by the squatter skunk had been another lesson. And inconsequence Trapper Jim, aided and abetted by Bandy-legs, who was apretty clever hand at making things, had arranged a contrivance thatworked much after the manner of a grating over the top of the chimney.
This, while allowing the smoke to escape freely, put up the bars againstthe admission of any would-be intruder, even a squirrel.
It would do temporarily. Trapper Jim said that later on when he borrowedthat big buckboard again and transported his lively guests to the townand the distant railroad, he had it in his mind to secure a sheet of thatheavy close-woven wire netting, such as was used in stable windows andfor many other purposes. It allowed a free circulation of air, and yetprevented the entrance of sneak thieves.
So on this night Bandy-legs could go to sleep in peace on the floor, hehaving given up the bunk to the next one on the list.
If he woke up in the night and raised his head to find the fire burninglow, he need not imagine every grotesque shadow in the dimly lightedcabin to be a fierce animal that had crept in while they slept.
When day came again they laid out their programme as usual. Of course,Uncle Jim, having started his season's work, could not neglect histraps. Every day when the weather allowed he must trudge the rounds andsee what Fortune had sent him.
Besides, a humane trapper wishes to end as quickly as possible thetorture of any creature that has been caught by the leg in one of hissteel contraptions.
"It's a cruel enough business at the best," Jim Ruggles told the boys ashe sat and spoke of his past experiences, "and often I've been sorry Iever took it up. But there must be trappers as long as women will demandrich furs in the winter season. My only satisfaction is that I've beenkinder toward the little animals of the woods than most brutal trapperswould be."
"But, however did you come to take up such a queer profession in thebeginning, Uncle Jim?" asked Owen that morning, as they got to talkingabout the many years the old man had spent in this way.
Owen had discovered, before now that that Jim Ruggles was really a man ofeducation, having been a college graduate.
He smiled at the question, did the old trapper.
"Oh, there were a lot of things combined to send me to the woods," hesaid, musingly. "First of all was my intense love for all the BigOutdoors. Seemed like I could never get enough of it. The more I saw ofthe forest, the more I felt drawn to it. I guess I had the woods hungerfrom boyhood. Max, here, knows what it is."
"I think I do," remarked the one mentioned. "I feel the craving come overme at times and have hard work to resist."
"Well, take my advice, son, and fight it off," remarked Trapper Jim."Anyhow keep it in subjection. The world needs you. There's plenty ofwork for such as you in the busy marts of men. Don't allow yourself toever dream of spending your whole life lost in the wilderness like I'vedone. What can I look back to but a life that's been wasted, so far asbeing useful to my fellowmen is concerned? A little run to the woods nowand then to renew your vigor and draw in new strength--let that be all."
"But you said there were other reasons why you came here, Uncle Jim,"persisted Owen.
At that the old man actually laughed.
"I suppose while I am at it," he said, "I might as well make a cleansweep and confess all. Well, I was a foolish young man at the time, yousee, and took it to heart because a certain young lady I thought heaps ofwouldn't accept me. But, then, my health was nothing to boast of in thosedays, and doctors had said it would be a good thing if I could spend ayear up here."
"And you did?" continued Owen.
"Been here ever since," replied the trapper.
"And you don't look weakly now, Uncle Jim."
"I should say not," laughed the other, as he stretched his muscular armsabove his head. "The open air, free from all disease germs, such asabound in cities; the long tramps; the freedom from worries; and, aboveall, the plain food and regular hours built me up wonderfully. Perhaps,after all, I did the right thing, because I'd have been dead long agoif I remained among the city dwellers."
"And, how about the heartless girl--did you ever see her again, UncleJim?" asked Owen, with a boy's freedom of speech.
Again the trapper laughed and then sighed.
"I never saw her again, son," he replied. "Years later I heard shemarried but I couldn't tell you whether his name was Smith or Brown. Thencame the news that Susie had died, leaving one child. Sometimes I'mseized with a sort of yearning to look that boy up, and perhaps dosomething for him, just because I cared for his mother. But I neverhave, because before I get started it begins to look foolish to me."
The old man had a tear in his eye. And both Owen and Max felt drawn tohim more than ever.
"Thank you ever so much, Uncle Jim, for telling us all this," Owen said,in a soft tone that caused the trapper to look fondly at him as he wenton:
"Well, I've spoken to you boys about things that Have been lying deepdown in my old heart buried for many a year. But just forget it. Andlet's see what Luck has got in store for us to-day. I'm going to get outa couple of my special fox traps."
Something about the way he said this as well as the eager flash that shotathwart his rugged face caused Max to cry out:
"Fox traps! You've got some reason for saying that, Uncle Jim."
"Maybe I have, son," remarked the trapper, smiling more broadly at thisevidence of astuteness on the part of the boy.
"Is it the silver fox?" demanded Max.
"Well, I thought I had just a glimpse of the little darling yesterdaywhen out with the boys," observed Trapper Jim.
"But you didn't mention it before now--I didn't hear any of them say aword about it," Max went on.
"That's right. I thought I'd keep it quiet. But what's the use when suchsharp eyes keep tabs on every move I make. Besides, you two might like towatch how I set a trap to catch a fox. Because they're about as smart asany animal that walks on four legs."
Soon afterward the boys started out with the trapper. Steve, feeling hislame shoulder, concluded to rest up for a day, while Bandy-legs confessedthat he much preferred doing a number of things about the cabin, perhapscatching a few pickerel in the little pond not far away, as Trapper Jimkept a supply of live minnows on hand to be used as bait when fishingwith "tip-ups" through the ice later on.
So Max, Owen, and Toby saw how the two traps were set for the black fox,whose pelt is the one known as silver fox, and by long odds the mostprized of all furs, sometimes one fine skin fetching thousands ofdollars.
They found another mink caught, besides a number of muskrats. And in thelast trap was a beautiful silky otter. Trapper Jim seemed highly pleasedwhen he looked at his various prizes for the day.
"Seems like you boys must have brought me good luck," he declared.
"I hope we have," laughed Owen.
"I never hit such a nice mess before so early in the season," continuedthe trapper, "and it wouldn't surprise me a great deal now if I caughtthat splendid silver first shot out of the box."
"S-s-say, wouldn't that j-j-just be g-g-great," said Toby.
"Well, the traps are set and it's been pretty nigh a morning's work,because there's so much to do about trapping a smart fox. But, boys,let's hope that to-morrow or some other day it'll all be paid back, andI'll
be able to show you what a beautiful skin the black fox sports."
"But you've taken them before, you said, Uncle Jim," Owen observed.
"Sure, two or three times, and pretty good ones at that," replied thetrapper, with a chuckle. "But you know, it's always the same old story inthis business."
"What's that?" asked Max.
"The skins you've captured in the past never compare with those you seeon the backs of live animals. The best is always to come, eh, Max?"
"J-j-just like it is in f-f-fishing," declared Toby. "The big one inthe w-w-water b-b-beats the one you've l-l-landed. I used to think thew-w-water just m-m-magnified 'em."
"No, it's the hope we have. Possession dulls the interest. You boys knowthat the apples next door always taste better than those you have in yourown orchard."
The three whom Trapper Jim addressed just looked at each other andlaughed. Nobody answered him. There was really no need of words. Jim knewboys from the ground up, and loved them, too. He had once been a boyhimself.
On the way back home he told them many interesting things connected withthe shrewdness of mink and otter, and how smart the trapper had to be tooutwit them.
"That's one of the pleasures of the business," he went on to say; "thiscontinual matching of a man's wits against the instinct and cunning ofthese same clever little varmints. Why, a single old mink has kept meguessing pretty much all winter and changing my methods a dozen times."
"But I reckon you got him in the end, Uncle Jim," said Max.
"What makes you believe that, son?"
"Oh, because you never give up once you've set your mind on a thing,"replied the boy, admiringly.
"Well, I don't knuckle down _very_ often, that's a fact," chuckled thetrapper; "though there have been occasions. That girl episode was one,you remember, Max."
"But you got the sly old mink, didn't you?" persisted Owen.
"Yes, I got him when I had just about exhausted every scheme I couldthink up," answered the trapper; "and let me tell you, boys, that daywhen I carried him to the cabin I felt as big as the President of theUnited States."
Another night of comfort followed. Trapper Jim said it began to feel reallonely, now that the bold bobcat no longer came prowling around trying tosteal things.
But the boys enjoyed having a good rest undisturbed by any sudden clamor.
This time only Max and Steve accompanied the trapper. Owen found that hehad wrenched his ankle, and had better take a day off, and Toby hadarranged to try the pickerel with Bandy-legs, who had caught a few on theprevious day.
Steve had heard about the traps set for the "silver," and he wanted to bealong if there was anything doing.
When they arrived near the first trap it was untouched. But the secondthey found sprung and empty.
"Oh, he was caught and broke away. It's too bad!" cried Steve, pointingto traces of blood and some shining black hairs on the jaws of the Victortrap.
But Trapper Jim was saying angry words to himself.
"Caught the finest silver I ever set eyes on only to have him snatched bya sneak of a pelt thief!" and he pointed as he spoke to the imprint of ashoe in the soil.