The Republican journal., 1871-10-26


their traps almost as rapidly as they
could set them. Indeed, | had read in
Baird's-I believe it was Baird's-Works
on Natural History, that the tisher-cat, or
aaustela canadensis, is a very fierce car
nivorous animal of the weasel family, Il
most determined fighter and more than Il
match for common hound.
WE'LL | had nothing to do but set the
traps again, task which | did in the
course of the day, really hoping that the
beast had merely paid the place tram
silent visit, and gone on upon his wander
ings.
But the next morning showed my hopes
were vain, for he had ''gone through" my
line again and every trap was upset. 1t
really seemed as if the'varmint'' hadtaken
malicious delight in tearing them to
pieces. At one of the traps a fine sable
had been caught, and as if for very mis-
chief, the marauder had torn the beautiful
skin, which was worth ten or dozen dol
| lars, to shreds.
Surely, if there is business in the
world that demands patience and perse-
verance, it is trapping. AT least it took
about all | could summon to go resignedly
| to work, make new spindles, catch fresh
bait, and set the traps again, especially
with the prospect of having the same task
to perform the next morning.
| went at it, however, and by eleven
o'clock had them all set save one, the up
per one, where the sable had been caught,
when, on approaching it through the thick
spruces, | saw q large raccoon gnawing
the sable's head. Seeing me at the same
instant, he caught up the head, and be-
fore | could unsling my gun, scuttled
away out of sight.
Was it possible that coon had been
doing all this mischief? knew them to
be adopts at a variety Of woods tricks
but had never heard of their robbing traps
before. Here was one caught gnawing
a sable's head in the vicinity of the broken
traps. Circumstantial evidence, as they
say IN court, was strong against him.
| determined to watch-that trap at
| least
Going over to our camp on the lake, |
took a hasty lunch, and putting fresh
charge into my gun, went back to the
ravine. A few rods from the place where
| had surprised the coon, there was thick
clump Of low spruces Here hid my self
and began my watch.
The afternoon dragged away. Crows
and hawks cawed and screamed; king
fishers and squirrels chickered and chirred,
but no animal came near the traps. The
sun was setting behind the high, black
mountains, and twilight began to dim the
narrow valley.
Thinking l had had my labor for my
pains, was about crawling out of my
hiding-place, when a twig snapped in the
direction of the traps, and turning quick
ly, | saw the coon coming up the bank Of
the brook, the same one, | was sure, that
had seen before, because of its unusual
size.
With glance around, to see that there
was no danger near, handled along TO the
spot where the sables head had been, and
began shifting at the shreds and bits of
fur which lay about. Wishing to see if he
would touch the trap, / did not stir, but
watched his movements
After picking up the bits of skin, he
walked round the trap several times, with
his queer, ,quizzical face askew, examining
it. Then happening TO scent one of the
sable's legs which lay at a distance, he
ran 10 it. and began to eat it. | could
hear his sharp teeth upon the bones. Sud
denly he stopped, listened, then growled.
Very much to my surprise, there was an
answering growl. Then another and an
other response. In a moment more, from
behind a great rock in the bank, there
stole out 4 large, black animal, an object
of the 'coon's utter adherence, evidently
Fresh growls greeted the appearance
of the intruder, who came stealthfuly
forward. He was a wicked looking fell
low, and had evidently hostile intentions.
~ Coo l,ft Il I, . I.
like bear or cat, and growing all the
while. The new corner crouched almost
to the earth, but continued to steal up to
the coon until within a yard or two
There they stood facing each other.
getting more angry every moment: and
evidently intended to have 4 beg '.set to-
| had no wish to interfere, and was con-
tent to remain Il spectator. The two
thieves might settle their quarrcls between
themselves. | wasn't at all certain to
Which of them | stood indebted for my
extra labor, and concluded TO keep my
charge of shot for whichever of them
survived the fray.
The growls rose to shreks the fisher,
for such | judged it to be, wriggling his
black tail, and the coon getting his back
still higher. Then came a sudden grab,
quick as q flash, and prodigious scuiflc
Over and over they rolled, graphing and
tearing; now the gray tail would whisk
up in sight, then the black one. The fur
flew, and that strong, disagrecable odor,
sometimes noticed when eat spits, was
waited out to my hiding place
1t was hard to tell which was the best
fighter Gray fur aud black fur seemed
TO be getting torn out in about equal
snatches. Suddenly the coon got away
from his antagonist, and running to the
foot of great spruce tree, standing near,
went like a dart up the trunk to the lower
limbs. There he faced about.
The fisher followed to the tree and
looked up. He saw his late foe, growled,
and then began to climb after him He
was not so good a climber us the coon,
but scratched his way up with true weasel
determination. The moment he came
within reach, the raccoon jumped at him,
regardless of the height from the ground,
and fastened upon his back. The shock
caused the fisher to lose his hold, and
down both animals dropped with ire
mendous force, sufficient to knock the
breath out Of them, thought But they
chung to each other, and dug and bit with
the fury of maniacs. 'Coons are noted
fighters; and as for the fishers, they never
give up while the breath of life is in
them.
Presently the coon broke away again,
and once more ran to the tree, this time
going up its trunk, out of sight, among
the branches at the top. 1t looked as if
he was getting about all the fight he cared
to have.
Not 80 with the big weasel. lie instant
ly followed his antagonist, clumsly but
surely clawing his way up the trunk. 1t
took him some time to reach the top, but
he got there at last. Another grapple en-
sued among the very topmost boughs, and
they both came tumbling to the ground,
catching at the limbs as they fell but
graphing afresh, they rolled down the
steep bank to the edge Of the water.
Meanwhile it had grown so dark that |
could but Just see their writing forms.
The growing, graphing sound continu-
ed, however, and could hear them splash