n, and he covered the man in
his turn.

So for a moment they all stood at a deadlock.

"Put down your guns!" said Horace. "A fox pelt isn't worth killing a
man for, and this pelt's no good, anyway. It's too late in the season.
We're going to take this fox away with us alive. Stick to your
beavers, for you can't steal this animal from us--and you can bet on
that!" he added, with great emphasis.

"You might shoot one of us, but you'd have a hole in you the next
minute," said Mac. "You'd better drop it, now, and get out!"

The trapper glared at them with a face as savage as a wildcat's. For a
second Fred really expected him to shoot. Then, with a muttered curse,
the man lowered his gun.

"You pups won't bark so loud when I come back!" he snarled. Then he
turned, and started away at a rapid pace.

"Bluffed!" Fred exclaimed, trembling now that the strain was over.

"He's gone for the rest of his gang!" Mac cried. "Quick, we've got to
get out of here!"

"Yes, and far away, too," said Horace, "now that we've caught the
mother fox. We should never have got the male, anyway. Let's get this
beauty into her box."

The black fox was indeed a beauty, but there was no time to admire her.
Snarling viciously, she laid back her ears and showed her white teeth.
Her hind leg was in the trap, but did not appear to have been injured
by the padded jaws.

Horace cut two strong forked sticks, with which the boys pinned her
down by the neck and hips. Fred opened the jaws of the trap; Mac
picked the fox up firmly by the back of her neck, and in spite of her
frantic struggles, thrust her into the cage.

Horace and Mac then seized the box, one at either end, and started
toward the river; Fred carried the guns and kept a sharp lookout in
front. The cage of foxes was not heavy, but it was so clumsy that the
boys had hard work carrying it over the rough ground. After stumbling
for a few rods, they cut a long pole and slipped it through the handles
in the ends of the cage. After that they made somewhat better
progress, although even then they could not travel at a very rapid pace.

"If those fellows have a canoe," panted Mac, "they'll be down the river
before we can get to camp!"

"You may be sure they'll do their best," said Horace. "These foxes are
probably worth ten times their winter catch. We'll have to break camp
instantly and make for home as fast as we can."

They went plunging along through the thickets, and