The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1880-05-01
WESTON, w. VA, SATURDAY, MAY ], 1880
Trapping in a Hand Car.

trapping IN a hand-taf.
II was a winter morning, and
very early. There was just light
enough for ono standing on the
railroad to SEQ the figure ola man
or boy, moving among the trees
and bushes a little way from thu
embankment.
Having cleared 4 spot from snow
and sticks, the hoy proceeded
to drive some small stakes into the
soil, which the water of the brook
flowing close beside it had kept
unErozen. The stakes were driven
so us to form q circle, and the spa
ces between them were barely wide
enough for u squirrel to pass
through; +; but the mink, for whose
capture the trap was intended,
could not have gone through at all,
except at one place, where u stake
had been left out .purposely.
Over this place was suspended Il
long, heavy stick, supported by a
slender prop. Any animal OF the
size Of the mink, in seeking to OBJ
tain the flesh or fish that was plac-
ed in the centre OF the enclosure,
would press beneath the log and,
inso doing, knock out the prop,
when the log would suddenly drop,
crushing the intruder beneath it.
"plenty Of tracks along the brook,
and ifI don't have a mink here
tomorrow morning, my name amt
john"
He stopped short and held his
breath to listen.
Through tho still morning air
came the steady, grinding hum and
rattle of Il car. II was far of and
low, ut first, but rapidly increased
until tho echoes caught up the
sound and made it more startling.
"My gacious! the.' scction-men
arc coming back alrcadyl"
EIe went up the embankment by
u succession Of leaps, and stood be-
side the handle in which hc had
come. 1t would be the work Of a
few seconds only 10 put it of the
track; but TO get it out Of sight he
must throw it dow. the bank,
Then, even if it escaped brcakase,
how could he get it up again?
Il must run for i'll" was his
conclusion.
And hcj jumped into the car and
scizeelsthe crank that turned tho
wheels.
re had great confidence in tho.
speed ofbis carr for not only were
Tic wheels larger. butthe car=waS
made.almost=whully ofzwood, and
so was much lighter than the one
behind lin.
His plan was 10 run ahead to a
tCam.road that crossed the track,
then wound quickly out of view in
the thick bushes, and there to take
off his car, nnd run it out of sight
until the section-men had passed
by.
The men saw something moving
oil the track ahead, but there was
not yet light enough TO make out
with certainty what it was ut that
distance, and they turned the
cranks Of their"cars with unusual
vigor to ovrtake the trcspasser, be
it nan or beast.
There was but q single crank on
the fugitive car, and only IL boy TO
work It, while the other had two
crunks nntI IL stout man to each.
Besides, they had the advantage Of
the greater momentum Of a heavier
car on a tlown-gmdc, and their iron
axlcs made less fraction than wood
on ones.
Perhaps the reader will ask, why
lie needed TO run away from the
scction-men in this manner?
Late in the autumn, the section
master had learned that there was
q boy called "John," who was trap
ming mink on tho streams along the
railroad; and they several times
saw him walking over the rails, md
ordered him oil.
There was IL law, John knew,
against walking OIL railroad tracks
SO, after the first warning, he al
ways walked outside the rails But
this, also, was trespnSs, and lie was
then ordered off the road entirely
Perhaps one reason was that the
section-lmaster's boy was also try
to catch mink, and wanted n mo-
nopoly on that line.
II was tho business Of the sec
tion-men to 60 over their section
of The road before the principal
trains, and sec that The track vas
all right.
John found out tho time Of these
trips, and kept up his trapping by
keeping out Of their sight.
But somebody now began to rol
| his trlps, so TINT he almost dccidGt