t earlier on the following day,
even if, in order to do so, he had to get up long before daylight to
accomplish his various chores.

No doubt he made rather a sorry mess of the job when he came to removing
those first pelts--at least it took him half a dozen times as long as a
more experienced trapper would have needed in order to accomplish the
task.

Still, when he finally had them fastened to a couple of boards left by
Joe, he felt that he had reason to be satisfied with his first attempt.

Mrs. Peake declared they seemed to look all right, and as each
represented a cash money value of some forty or fifty cents, Darry
realized that there was a little gold mine awaiting him in that swamp,
providing those miserable followers of Jim allowed him to work it.

Several times he awoke during the night and started up, thinking he
heard suspicious sounds again, but they proved false alarms.

He was glad to see the first peep of day, and quickly tumbled out to set
about his various duties of starting the fire, bringing in water and
wood, and later on chopping a supply of fuel sufficient to last through
the day.

When Mrs. Peake gave him permission to go Darry hurried off.

Again he carried the gun, thinking he might find a chance to bag a fine
fat duck or two, which Mrs. Peake declared she would be glad to have for
dinner.

Arriving at the scene of his first triumph of the previous day, he
discovered once more that the trap was gone from the bank.

Again he fished for it with the crotched stick, but despite his efforts
there was no trap forthcoming.

Finally, filled with a sudden suspicion, he crawled down to examine the
stake in the water to which the chain had been secured.

The stake was there all right but no trap rewarded his search.

With his heart beating doubly fast, Darry sped along the path to where
he had located his second trap, only to find it also missing.

Now he knew that it could be no accident, but a base plot to upset all
his calculations and deprive him of the fruits of his industry.

The thing that angered him most of all was the fact that he must face
Mrs. Peake and tell her he had lost the treasures she valued so highly.

He shut his teeth together firmly.

"They won't keep them, not if I know it," he muttered. "I'll find out
where they hide them. I'll get 'em again, sure as I live!"

The thieves had apparently done their evil work well. Not a single trap
did he find in the various pla