I must show him up first."

As he raised the musk-rat tenderly by the long, bare tail, his heart
swelled in his breast. What would Charley say to musk-rat catching now?
He himself had never dreamed of luck like this, and Charley would be
astounded. He was absently moving off, when Jack called:

"Here, you young trapper! Don't be a-dodging off without making ready
for more of the same family!"

"I shall not set the trap again," said Bertie.

"What's the reason?"

"It is a long walk up here, and I am satisfied with my game," he added,
proudly.

"Do you mind lending of it to a feller?"

"Certainly not. You can keep it as long as you wish."

"That is clever, now. I'll set it in the same place, jest for luck. I
say, don't you want some help about skinning the critter?"

Bertie thought he could manage it alone.

"It will be an awkward job, if you never tried it."

"I suppose it will," said Bertie.

"And you may spile the head. I don't mind showing of you how it's done."

Bertie thanked Jack, but declined to trouble him. The fact was, he was
in a hurry to get home with his prize. He could not stop to talk about
anything, for Charley had not seen it. Didn't he open his black eyes
when he saw what Bertie had brought?

And didn't Bertie feel proud and happy? But he did not make much ado
about his good fortune, as Charley would have done under similar
circumstances. He allowed the game to speak for itself. At first Charley
was inclined to doubt that it was caught in Bertie's trap; but Bertie
asked--with some vanity, we confess--if he could mention any boy who
would be likely to give up an animal like that, and Charley could not.

Everybody came out to examine Bertie's prize, and everybody said it was
a beauty. Flora clapped her hands, for now she was to have all the
'fumery she wanted. It lay at full length on the piazza, until it had
been duly admired by every one on the premises, and then it was carried
over to Grandma's.

"Bless me!" exclaimed the old lady, as the children rushed in and laid
the musk-rat at her feet.

"Bless me! Open that window, Amy dear. I never can breathe with a
creetur like that in the house. Take it right out, dears."

"But we want you to look at it, Grandma. Bertie caught it."

"In the trap," added Flora.

She patted Bertie on the head, and said he was a dear boy, but she
should stifle if they did not carry the creetur out. So to please
Grandma they carried it out and laid it on