y with the gun and
the clothes, had a good cry when left to herself; but Darry did not know
this.

As he approached his first trap he found himself fairly tingling with
eagerness.

This was not because of the value involved in the skin of a muskrat,
though it seemed as though each year the price was soaring as furs
became more scarce; but he wanted to feel that he had learned his lesson
well, and followed out the instructions given in Joe's little handbook.

The trap was gone!

He saw this with the first glance he cast over the low bank.

Did it have a victim in its jaws or had some marauder stolen it?

With a stick he groped in the deeper water, and catching something in
the crotch he presently drew ashore the trap.

He had caught his first prize.

Of course he understood that when compared with the mink and the fox, a
muskrat is an ignorant little beast at best, and easily captured; but
for a beginning it was worth feeling proud over.

Setting the trap again in the hope that there might be others in the
burrow, one of which would set his foot in trouble on the succeeding
night, Darry went on.

He found only one more victim to the half dozen traps.

Perhaps he had been too careless with the others and left plain traces
of his presence that had warned the cunning rodents.

Having placed all his traps in the water again, he started back home,
swinging the two "muskies" in one hand, while carrying his gun in the
other.

After leaving the marsh he chanced to look back and was surprised to
see a boy come out and start on a run toward the village.

Darry had very little acquaintance with the village lads, and could not
make up his mind whether he had ever seen this fellow before or not; but
once or twice he thought he detected evidence of a limp in his gait when
he fell into a walk, and this brought to mind Jim and his two cronies.

It was not Jim, but at the same time there was no reason why it should
not be one of his bodyguard, "the fellows who sneezed when Jim took
snuff," as Mrs. Peake had said in speaking of the lot.

Suppose this did happen to be Sim Clark or Bowser, what had he been
doing in the marsh?

Could it be possible that the fellow had been spying on him, and was now
hastening to report to his chief?

They might think to annoy him by stealing the traps he had placed, or at
least robbing them of any game.

Darry shut his teeth hard at the idea.

He made up his mind that he would go ou