tion that after all the taking
of furs and curing the same is an art. Who'd think there was so much
that is interesting in the capture of wild animals, and preparing their
skins for the market. Then again I suppose these big houses that buy in
bulk have ways of handling the furs that increases their value a great
deal. The fur we see on the shoulders of our fine ladies has mighty
little resemblance to the pelt the poor trapper brings in to the post,
and trades for tobacco, powder and shot, tea, sugar, coffee and such
indispensables, not to mention whiskey," suggested Cuthbert, wisely.

At this Owen shrugged his shoulders.

"There you have me. I have a limit to my knowledge, and it stops with
the capture and drying of the pelts. What takes place after they get in
the hands of the dealer I know nothing about, only that they have mighty
cute ways of dyeing many of the cheaper grades, and calling them
something else. A skunk would not sell for as much under its own name as
some high sounding one; for you know there is always an unpleasant
association connected with the skunk."

"You just bet there is," avowed Eli, heartily, as with the conviction of
one who knows whereof he speaks; "it associated with me for a whole week
once, up in a lumber camp, and by ginger, it was the only thing that
would associate with me till my new clothes came along and I could bury
the old ones. After that my curiosity about the cunning little striped
beast that used to slink across the tote road was satisfied, and
whenever I saw one I'd give a whoop that could be heard a mile away and
run for my life! They got to know that yell, and whenever any of the
boys heard it they'd laugh and say: 'There's that fool Eli huntin'
polecats again.' But I wasn't, not by a jugful; I was giving him a wide
berth, and taking off my hat to him in the bargain. Oh! ever since that
day I've had the greatest respect you ever heard tell of for the ornery
little critters."

By this time they had arrived at the mouth of the little creek, and
climbed out upon the upper level.

"I'd think the fur bearing animals would be pretty well cleaned out
along here, so close to the post," remarked Cuthbert, still harping on
the subject.

"They are as a rule; but when a place is let alone a few years they
increase again; and I guess that's what has happened here. In the last
fifty years this creek may have been cleaned out a dozen or two times,
and then let alone for a spell to