ho! That is very well put in. I wish I had as many dollars as I
know you won't catch a musk-rat. I could buy the Baby Pitcher's canary
to-morrow. Couldn't I, pet?"

Flora had come in, as she did every morning, to inquire about the
musk-rat.

"Buy it to-day," said Flora.

"Couldn't buy it to-day for want of money."

"You must not think anything about the bird," said Bertie, "for Charley
never will have any money."

"What a prospect!" said Charley.

"Not a very bright one for Flora, I must confess."

"She has my word, and that is as good as gold."

"Mustn't tell a story," said Flora. "If you don't have any money that
will be a story."

"And if Bertie does not catch a musk-rat, that will be a story."

"Yes. He said he would."

"And I will. You believe that I will keep my word?"

"I do, and Dinah does."

"Do you believe in the musk-rat?"

"I do. Is he in the trap?"

"He was not in the trap this morning."

"May be there now."

"Yes, dear, he may be."

"And then again he mayn't," said Charley. "If I were in the Baby
Pitcher's place I would give up looking for that animal. Her poor little
black eyes will be all faded out."

"Won't either, Charley Waters. I am going home."

"Say good by, dear."

Flora would not say good by. She did not like Charley's manner. She
wished to be treated with proper respect as she informed Dinah on the
way home.

"Gemplemen don't talk so, and ladies don't. Gemplemen say 'Yes, I thank
you,' and 'If you please.' And I do. Charley Waters don't. But you must
not mind what he says. He don't know nothing. Bertie does."

CHAPTER VII.

SOMETHING IN THE TRAP.

The next time Bertie went to the spring, he expected to find Jack
awaiting him. No one was there, however; not even the musk-rat. The trap
remained just as he left it, and the bait was undisturbed. He was glad
not to meet Jack (who had been and gone); but he was not a little
disappointed about the musk-rat. He began to cherish hard feelings
towards it. It was too bad of him not to come into the trap and be
caught, when such pains had been taken to receive him properly. The trap
was as inviting as trap could be. It said quite plainly, "Will you walk
into my parlor?" and never dropped a word as to getting out again. What
more could a musk-rat ask? He examined the tracks in the wet ground, but
could not make out that any of them were fresh. He did not believe that
anything had been near the trap during the night