s sides. Sometimes we would find one alive in a
trap in their paths, and sometimes only a foot.

[Sidenote: DAVID'S BLACK CAT]

Occasionally my little brother David went with me, and while I was
baiting a trap, would run on, to see if there was anything in the next
one. Once he came back to me, and said, "Benny, some mean fellow has
been down here, and stuck a nasty black cat in the trap." The cat turned
out to be a mink with a fine fur. After we had examined the traps,
Edmund and I used to meet at a spot on Deacon Brown's farm, which was so
pretty that folks called it "God's Creation"; and then we went over to
the highway together, on our way to school.

We trapped muskrats till April, and got fifty-four muskrats and two
mink. Skins are like oysters, good every month in the year that has an
_R_ in it.

How many were actually caught in our traps is another matter. A
half-breed Indian named Tony lived in a little hut by the edge of the
meadows. Frequently we found prints of his moccasins by our traps; and
they would be baited with a different kind of an apple from that we
used.

Probably Tony needed muskrat skins more than we, or at least thought
that he did.

We disliked Tony and avoided him. We had our little scalping-parties or
war-paths and ambuscades, in imitation of the Indians, but in spite of
that we hated them heartily, and thought it a great weakness on the part
of our minister, Bishop Hancock, when he spoke a good word for them.

[Sidenote: BISHOP HANCOCK]

He, Bishop Hancock, was of the salt of the earth. He was very old, but
bright and strong, and as full of fun as a kitten. Old age seemed to
improve him, as it does wine, and made him ripe and mellow.

When we saw him walking down the road, with his full-bottomed white wig,
his black coat and small clothes, his black silk stockings, and his
white Geneva bands, we gathered on one side of the road, folded our
hands, ducked our heads, and made our manners.

He always had some funny or quaint remark to make to us. There was,
perhaps, nothing wonderful in what he said, but his words always had a
pleasant savour; and the day seemed brighter after he had spoken to us.
He was himself like one of those serene peaceful days that come in the
Indian summer near the close of the year.

He had so much common sense and so sure a judgment, that all the
ministers of the county ran to him for advice, if any important matter
came up. And he had such authority amo