tunes.

"Now, it might be," he started to say, again looking serious, "that all
this fuss ain't worth the candle, and that nothin' 's going to happen;
but I believe in shuttin' the door _before_ the hoss is stolen; it's too
late afterwards. I haven't got the time right now to tell yuh jest how I
learned that my foxes was agoin' tuh be in danger; somebody I knew wrote
me a letter, and warned me, which'll have tuh be enuff jest now tuh
explain. Since I got that same, three days back, I've been figgerin' on
how I could fix up a trap tuh ketch any two-legged varmint that chanced
tuh come sneakin' around here of a night. Well, I got one er two tricks
rigged up that might fill the bill."

"Of course you mean to show them to us, Obed?" Steve burst out with;
"for if you didn't, and we were left in charge here, one of us might
fall into the pit, and get knocked out, which would be tough luck, I'm
thinking."

"Oh! I meant to show you, Steve," asserted the fur farmer, quickly. "And
if so be yuh'll come along with me right now, we'll take a look at the
contraptions, which, of course, yuh understand, are only meant for
night-times, and tuh help out when Jerry wouldn't be around for me to
sorter lean on."

Being boys who did things themselves, it was only natural that the four
chums should feel a decided interest in what Obed had just said. Even
Max showed an eagerness to go forth and examine the said traps. He could
speculate as to what their character might turn out to be, but this
only added a little more spice to the occasion.

So when Obed turned and started off, with a beckoning finger that
enticed them to follow his lead, none of the quartette held back.

CHAPTER X

TRAPS FOB NIGHT PROWLERS

"Yuh see," remarked Obed, turning around as they drew near the first
enclosure, where the parent foxes were confined behind the wire fencing,
"I've just been adding a few finishing touches tuh this here trap
scheme. I got a little idea while I was alookin' the ground over, and
reckoned I could fix it up so there'd be a heap right good chance that a
feller creeping around here o' a night would step into the contraption.
I'll show yuh how I 'ranged it."

With that he led the way along a plain trail that seemed to be the
easiest route up to the enclosure. Three times out of four a stranger,
prowling around with meagre light to guide him, would be apt to follow
that beaten track; and this was evidently what the shrewd Obed was