thoroughly practiced, the dens will soon be gone and with the
disappearance of the dens the skunk and the coon also disappear. If
the dig'em-out or dog hunter, when he found that he must destroy a
den in order to get his game, would leave it or get the animals in
some other way without destroying the den, then there could be no
objection to the dig'em-outs or to dog-hunting.

Now, comrades, I will give some of my own experience in regard to
this destroying of den trees. I trapped for a short time around a
slough or pond in Alabama two years ago. The large timber in the
vicinity of this pond was mostly oak and lumbermen were cutting this
timber and taking it out. Coon were quite plentiful around this pond
when I first began trapping there but I soon noticed that signs were
fast disappearing and I could not think what the cause was. I went to
another pond or rather a swamp about two miles from this pond where I
again found coon quite plentiful.

Not long after I had moved my traps to this other slough a party of
negroes came to my camp; they had five dogs. I inquired what luck
they were having and they complained that since the timber had been
cut around Swan Pond there were no den trees for coon or possum and
they were all gone. When these colored people told me what the
trouble was I could readily account for the fast disappearance of the
coon signs about the pond. I went to the same pond again this past
season and while I found a few signs I did not consider it worthwhile
to put out a line of traps so I went on to the swamp and put out my
traps. It made me two miles further travel in that direction but it
paid me just the same.

Comrades, let us induce all the boys to come to camp where we can
consult with them and let us get a move on us and locate our trapping
grounds and make all preparations for the trapping season. This will
enable us when the fur is prime to make more money in two months than
we do in four months when we indulge in this September and unprime
fur trapping. At the same time we will be able to lift our traps
while there is still some of the furbearers left and we have not
"killed the goose that lays the golden egg."

CHAPTER XXVIII.

The Passing of the Fur bearer.

Well, boys, I suppose you are well pleased with the bounty law in
this state, (Pennsylvania) as it now is? While it is doubtful if I
shall ever again be able to follow the trap line, I am nevertheless
as much, and perhaps mor