st of their talk was about the Rebellion of 1745, for the regiment was
largely made up of Highlanders that had been "out" with Charlie. And
when they drank the King's health, it was to King James they drank, and
not to King George.

Their conversation was very interesting to Edmund and to me, for our
family had lived together like a clan in Lexington, and the older people
still kept certain Scotch customs and used queer expressions. As the
Highlanders talked, a strange feeling would occasionally come over us,
as if we had led that life and seen those sights at some dim, remote
period.

In our own camp with the Rangers we heard stories of adventures in the
woods with Indians, bears, and lucivees.

Old Bill McKinstry said, "I wish we had some good strong traps, and we
could go off and trap bob-cat."

"And why shouldn't we have traps? What am I a blacksmith for? Just find
me some old iron, and I will get the use of the armourers' forge."

They procured the iron, and I made eight big traps with strong jaws and
a chain for each trap.

McKinstry, John Martin, Amos, and I got a furlough for a week, and so
did Hector Munro, whom we asked to go with us. We packed up our traps
and provisions on an Indian sled.

The winter had set in. The river was frozen over, and the snow was deep.
We fastened on our rackets and started to the southwest, where there was
little likelihood that we should be disturbed by Indians. We went down
the river, and turned off into a path that led to the west, and followed
it till well into the afternoon, when we came to a good-sized pond. On
the way, we shot several rabbits with which to bait the traps. McKinstry
killed a hedgehog, which he said was just what he wanted. We chose a
place where there were a couple of good-sized saplings, some twelve feet
apart in a level and sheltered spot, not far from the pond.

[Sidenote: BUILDING A CAMP]

We cleared away the brush behind them, and fastened a pole from one tree
to the other, some eight feet from the ground. Then we cut a number of
long poles, and laying one end of them on the cross pole, and the other
on the ground, made the skeleton of a lean-to hut. McKinstry had built a
fire. He threw the hedgehog into it, and let him stay till the quills
were well singed. Then he pulled him out and tied a string to him.

"What are you doing that for?"

"For a scent. I'll show you."

McKinstry and I set out with the traps and bait, leaving our companions