Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-06-10

Losing faith in getting out the foxes
Alfred now sent William Shaw and
three others of the psrty of to q pond
in the woods. where he knew there Was
flock Of dippers, as we called them,
a small species of duck, not more than
balf the size of shelldrske.
Alfred himself. with Nathan DeIpit,
then set off to go to another pond, two
or three miles away in the woods, after
ducks and mihk.
George Bean and I were thus left with
an old dog. 20 go on digging after the
foxes. We were at last so tired that We
lay down. and had rested fifteen o,
twenty minutes. maybe. when q foz
leaped cut 81 that burrow, and ran
down through the pasture. The dog
saw him and gave chase; so did George
and I; and the dog ran 80 smsrtly that
he overhauled the fox before he had run
more than two or three hundred yards.
Twas fine red fox, with a bush
as big as great coat sleeve. and his
fur was in good condition. As it was
already getting towards sundown, we
BOW started for home with cur fox, fol
We had nearly four miles to 60.
The most of Coombs's squat had go!
in when We arrived. They had heap
of hares, thirteen. 1 tkipk, which Ger
tainly looked little like snares; but
nobody said anything. They had also
one marten; but all told, they could
count but tivs hundred and eighty-fi
points.
just then, William Shaw and his
party came in with six dippers. That
gave our side six hondred and twenty.
tive points; and still Alfred and Nathan
had not come. We cheered. All now
we're waiting for Alfred.
1t grew dark. Six O'Clock struck
We went home and got supper, then
came ack to the academy. Alfred had
not come. nor Nathan. There was some
impatience, which changed to anxiety
when eight O'Clock came. with no It'd
ings of them By and by, Nathsn's
mother came in to ask If he were there
Then We began to feel alarmed in ear
nest aud to thiuk that something had
really befallen them.
leu O'Clock came; then two search
parties started ont with lanterns. The
last seen or known of the missing boys,
they had set of for pond about sir
miles from the village. It Was feared
they bad gone out in boat, and Cap
sized in deep water.
A party of ten boys and men set ed
for that pond at eleven O'Clock. The
writer went with others. It was u
darksome trip. We went round the
pond, shouting, firing guns and looking
for tracks on the shore. We we're oat
the most of the night. bat neither heard
anything of them. nsr yet found trace
or track. The weather had turned
cloudy. and at three O'Clock in the
morning it was showing. The other
party had 10 better success, and went
home earlier.
Next forenoon, the whole village was
astir. All sorts of rumors we're in Cir.
culstion. 1t was raining and showing.
mixed together; but not less than dfty
persons were out searching fer the lost
boys. The Thanksgiving dinner was
quite forgotten. By four O'Clock, OF
half-past four. all the search parties had
come home again, discouraged. and with
no better success than we, If the pre-.
vious night. It bade fair to be stormy
evening. The opinion was that the
boys we're dead-probably drowned.
But about five o'clock they came
home of themselves, looking water
soaked, and very sober. Such hurrah
as went through that village is rarely
heard, I imagine. And then everybody
naturally wanted to know where they
had kept themselves for the last twenty
four hours.
All that Alfred would say was thai
they got hung up" and that they had
cowe back Is soon % they could. NJ.
than said the same, or told us to tall
with Alfred. There was evif emily
something queer about It; but We were
glad enough to see them safe back to
forgive them their reticence.
About month after this, however, q
hunter and farmer, named Frost, told
Q drol story at ono Of the stores, about
some academy boys getting caught in
one of bis bear traps; and after this
Nathan conAdentislly gave William and
me certain details of their mishsp
Alfred, however, would never say 9
word concerning it; he was very close
mOuthed boy; and something about this
affair clearly touched his pride.
Il appeared that, after leaving us al
the fox.burrow, Alfred and Nathan had
gone to Beaver Brook" as it was
called. some three miles to the north
east, instead of going to the pond they
had spoken of. I presume they had
nink.traps on this stream.
After going up the brook o mile oi
so. they started TO cross over the pond
BY an old logging road through the
forest.
They had gone but little way when
they came to where some one had re-
comfy felled q large beech. It was, al
they saw. Q bee-tree; that is, q hollow
tree where swarm of wild bees had
their hive or nest.
The honey had been taken out; but
close by, Q bear-trsp. made of large
logs like q small log.house, had been
built. set. and baited with generous
mess OF the honey-comb. The trap bad
the usual spindle and drop-door ar
rangement; and both the drop and the
logs forming the top, or roof of the
trap. we're heavily losded with rocks.
The boys were hungry, and seeing
that honey. they deter mined to have a
taste Of it. ct least. So they stood q
prop under the drop to keep the trap
from catching them. as they thought
and then, laying down their guns, crepi
IN and commenced to help themselves
to the honey.
The end was that they sprung the
trap. and that their prop didn't hold ut
the drop. The great weight broke il
down.
At first, they thought they could Re,
ont BY prying up the drop, or hoistine
of the top. But they soon found thai
. trap that would hold bears would
hold boys. The structure did its duty
without discriminating, and held them
fast.
It is needless to say that they did no.
have . very enjoyable time Of it-al
that night and the next day, With tn,
rain dripping down betwi1t the log
upon them. What honey there was OF
the spindle did not 60 far by way o.