re set, and on the
following morning when they went to look at the snares, Toby took with
him two fox traps.

"I were seein' some footin' o' foxes on the mesh," he explained. "I'm
thinkin' we'll set the traps, and we might get a fox. Dad would be
wonderful glad and we gets a fox. There's a chance we might get a
silver, or a cross, whatever."

"That would be great!" exclaimed Charley. "And can't we set other
traps?"

"Aye, when I gets everything fixed up about home we'll set some marten
traps too. There's fine signs o' martens. Dad don't think we can get un
hereabouts, but I sees the signs and we'll get un!"

Beyond the last rabbit snare, and a quarter mile out upon an open marsh,
Toby set the first fox trap, concealing it, as Skipper Zeb had
concealed his fox traps, with great care, and scattering bits of meat
around the trap and over the snow, and a few drops of liquid from a
bottle which he called "scent," and which had a most unpleasant odour.

"Skipper Tom Ham'll be like to bring the dogs over from Lucky Bight now
any day, with the bay fast," said Toby as they turned homeward. "I wants
to get some more wood cut to haul with un when they comes, but we'll set
some o' the marten traps up to-morrow and more of un later."

"Oh!" exclaimed Charley. "We've been doing so many things I forgot all
about the dogs! Then we can travel with them?"

"Aye, we'll be cruisin' with un. 'Twill be a fine way for you to get
used to un, helpin' me haul in the wood, and you'll be learnin' to drive
un. We hauls in most of our wood in the spring, but they's some left to
haul, and if I cuts more whilst they's a chanst before the snow gets too
deep, we'll be haulin' that too, so there'll be plenty of un."

"How many dogs are there?" Charley asked eagerly.

"Eight of un," answered Toby, "and 'tis the best team on The Labrador,
_I_ thinks. They's the real nu'thern dogs. Dad says the nu'thern dogs
has more wolf in they than others has."

"Do they look like wolves?" Charley asked in some awe.

"Aye, they look so much like un you could scarce tell un from wolves,
only they curls their tails up over their backs and wolves don't."

"Are they cross?" Charley inquired anxiously.

"I wouldn't call un cross," explained Toby. "I calls un sneaky. If they
thinks they could down you, they'd do un quick enough. 'Tis best to
carry a stick when you goes abroad among un, till you gets used to un
and they gets used to you. They're wonderful scared