the next morning, as soon as they had eaten their breakfast, the trapper went to the door, and, after listening, and looking at the sky a few moments, said:
“youngsters, if we intend to ketch any of them beaver, we had better do it to-day. we are goin’ to have a storm as is a storm, an’ afore two days the woods will be blocked up so that we can’t do no huntin’ at all.”
frank and george were eager to accompany the trapper, for beaver-hunting was something entirely new to them; but archie and harry concluded to make another attempt to capture the black fox; for the trapper’s description of his swiftness and cunning had rendered him an object worthy of attention, and made the young hunters more anxious than ever to catch him.
frank and george drew on their overcoats, strapped their blankets fast to their belts, and filled their haversacks. when all was ready, each shouldered his gun and an ax, and followed the trapper from the cabin. about noon they came to a halt on the banks of a large pond that lay hemmed in on all sides by the trees. near the center of this pond were several objects of a conical shape, looking like drifts of snow. these were the beavers’ houses.
the boys were entirely at a loss to conceive how they were to go to work to capture the beaver. if they began to cut through the houses, the animals would take the alarm in a moment, and dive under the ice, where they would be safe from all pursuit.
“i’ll show you how it is done,” said the trapper, who perceived that they did not understand it. “in the first place, take your axes and go and pound on every house you can see.”
“why, that will frighten out all the beaver,” said frank.
“that’s jest what i want to do,” said dick; “but you must know that a beaver can’t live under the ice any longer than me or you.”
he then went on to explain that the banks on each side of the pond were supplied with “breathing-holes,” which were dug into the bank, and extended upward above the level of the water, and that the beaver, when frightened out of their houses, would seek refuge in these holes, where they could be easily captured.
“but how do we know where these holes are?” asked george.
“easy enough,” answered dick. “all you have got to do is to go along the bank an’ strike the ice with an ax, an’ you can tell by the sound where they are. but i fixed all that when i first diskivered this pond. i know jest where the holes are. now, you go an’ pound on them houses, an’ drive out the beaver.”
the boys accordingly laid down their guns, and commenced an attack on the dwellings of the beaver, when the animals at once plunged into the water under the ice. after every house had been visited, and the boys were satisfied that they had made noise sufficient to drive out all the beaver, they returned to the place where they had left the trapper, and found him engaged in cutting a hole in the ice close to the bank. as the boys came up, he directed one of them to fasten his hunting-knife to a long sapling for a spear, and the other to chop a hole in the bank directly opposite to the one he had cut in the ice.
by the time the spear was finished, an opening had been cut down into the “breathing-hole,” and the hunters discovered three beaver crouching in the furthest corner. useless thrust his head into the hole, and contented himself with barking at the game; but brave squeezed himself down into the opening among the beavers, and attacked them furiously. the animals made a desperate resistance, and in a few moments brave backed out of the hole, with his ears and nose bleeding from several wounds, which showed that the long teeth of the beaver had been used to a good advantage. frank gazed in surprise at the dog’s lacerated head, and exclaimed:
“there’s something besides a beaver in there.”
“no, i reckon not,” replied the trapper. “your dog is jest about as keerless as you be, an’ hasn’t got no more sense than to pitch into every wild varmint he comes acrost. you must understand that a beaver can get up a tarnal good fight if he onct makes up his mind to it. an’ when you get one of ’em cornered up, it takes somethin’ besides a ’coon dog to whip him.”
frank made no reply, and the trapper reached down with his long spear, when one after the other of the beavers were killed and pulled out on the bank. the attack on the houses was then renewed, to drive out any of the animals which might have returned. in the next breathing-hole two beavers were found, but only one was secured, the other making his escape by plunging back under the ice. while they were cutting into the next hole, a large mink suddenly popped out from under the roots of a tree into which the trapper was chopping; and although george made a frantic blow at him with the handle of his ax, he succeeded in getting past him, and started across the pond toward the opposite shore. the boys immediately went in pursuit, george leading the way, and frank following close behind him, brandishing his spear, and shouting to the dogs, which were close upon the mink’s heels. the little animal made headway through the snow with a rapidity that was surprising; but the long bounds of the dogs were rapidly diminishing the distance between them, and when about half way across the pond, useless overtook and seized him. the boys increased their speed, fearful that the dog might spoil the skin, which was one of the finest they had ever seen.
“useless!” shouted george, “get out! drop that”——
he did not finish the sentence; for suddenly there was a loud crack, and the ice opened beneath him, and he sank out of sight in the cold water. frank, as we have said, was following close behind him, and at the rate of speed at which he was running, it was impossible to stop; and the trapper, who had been watching the race, and had witnessed the accident with an expression of great concern depicted on his weather-beaten countenance, expected to see frank disappear also. but the young naturalist always had his wits about him, and summoning all his strength, he sprang into the air, and cleared the hole into which george had fallen, by an extraordinary leap, and landed on the firm ice on the opposite side. george rose almost instantly, for he was an expert swimmer; but his sudden immersion into the cold water seemed to have paralyzed his limbs, and rendered him incapable of action. frank turned immediately and made a desperate clutch at george’s long hair; but he was too late, for the unfortunate young hunter again sank slowly out of sight. frank’s mind was made up in an instant, and hastily pulling off his fur cap and comforter, he unbuckled his belt and began to divest himself of his overcoat.
“take care now, youngster,” exclaimed the trapper, who at this moment came up. “don’t let george get a hold of you, or you’ll both go down together;” and dick threw himself on his knees, and stretched his long arm out over the water ready to catch george if he should come up within his reach, while frank stood upon the edge of the ice, ready to plunge into the water the moment his companion should rise again.
but his intentions were anticipated; for at this moment brave came bounding to the spot, carrying the mink in his mouth. understanding, in an instant, that something was wrong, he dropped his game and sprang into the water. at this moment george’s head appeared at the surface, and the dog seized him, when, to the horror of the hunters, both disappeared together. but they arose a moment afterward, and brave, holding the rescued hunter by the collar of his coat, swam toward his master, and george was drawn out on the ice, in a state of insensibility.
“here! here!” exclaimed dick, running around to the place where frank was kneeling, holding george in his arms; “give him to me, an’ you run back an’ get the axes.”
the trapper raised his young companion in his arms as easily as though he had been an infant, and started toward the bank at the top of his speed; while frank, after pulling brave out of the water, ran back after the axes, as dick had directed. when he again found the trapper, he was on the bank, kneeling beside george, and engaged in chafing his hands and temples.
“now, youngster!” he exclaimed, hurriedly, “if you ever worked in your life, work now. build a fire and throw up a shantee. we must get his wet clothes off him to onct.”
frank, as may be supposed, worked with a will, knowing that the life of his companion depended on his exertions. in a short time a roaring fire was started, and a rude shelter erected, when george’s wet and frozen clothes were pulled off and hung up to dry, and he was warmly wrapped up in blankets. the rubbing was continued a few moments longer, when they had the satisfaction of seeing him open his eyes and gaze about him. dick now left the hut. in a short time he returned, with a bunch of herbs in his hand, and soon afterward a cup of strong, nauseating tea was pressed to george’s lips, and he was compelled to swallow the whole of it. he was then enveloped in more blankets, and ordered to “go to sleep.”
while frank and the trapper were seated beside the fire, talking over the accident, they heard the noise of approaching footsteps on the crust, and presently archie and harry hurried up to the hut.
“what’s the matter with george?” inquired the latter, hurriedly, for he saw that dick and frank were the only ones at the fire.
“o, he got a duckin’ in the pond, that’s all,” replied the trapper. “don’t be alarmed. he’s sleepin’ nicely now.”
“we thought somebody was drowned, sure,” said archie, “for we saw the hole in the ice, and your guns and overcoats scattered about, as though they had been thrown down in a great hurry.”
in about an hour george awoke, and, of course, was immediately assailed with innumerable questions. among others, his brother asked him why he didn’t swim when he fell into the water.
“why didn’t i swim!” repeated george; “i couldn’t move. it seemed as though every drop of blood in my body was frozen solid as soon as i touched the water. but where’s the black fox you were going to bring back with you? did you catch him?”
archie replied in the negative; and then went on to tell how they had found the trail in the gully, followed it for a mile, then suddenly lost it again, all efforts to recover it proving unsuccessful.
about the middle of the afternoon, george, declaring that he was able to travel, was allowed to put on his clothes, and the hunters shouldered their guns and started for home.
the sight of their snug little cabin was a pleasant thing to the eyes of the trappers that evening, for the day’s hunt had been a hard as well as a profitable one. a fire was quickly started, and, while their supper was cooking, george changed his wet clothes; and a strong cup of coffee, as the trapper remarked, “set him all right again.” after supper, how soft and comfortable their blankets felt! they lay for a long time in silence, watching the sparks as they arose slowly toward the opening in the roof that served as a chimney, and listening to the whistling of the wind and the sifting of the snow against the walls of the cabin; for the storm that the trapper had predicted had already set in.
