The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-07-29
CAUGHT IN A TRAP.
How Willie Saved His Uncle's
Hard-Earned Money.

Brave and courageous deeds are
being done about us daily. which the
world outside seldom hears Of One of
these deeds has lately come under my
observation, and | am going to tell the
boys who like to hear true stories, what
another boy has done. On a small
Homestead" farm, in one of our West
rern States, lives Uncle" Joe Samp-
son. Its about five miles away from a
village, and is a rather lonely place in
the woods, with no neighbors nearer
than two miles. Last fall a nephew of
JOe's came to the city to visit him.
Willie Dane was about fourteen. a
'quickwitted, COURAGEOUS fellow, who
had never been Sin the woods" until
that season. He brought a gun with
him, and Uncle Joe. who is great hun
ter and trapper, took great pleasure in
showing his nephew how to hunt deer
and such other game as abOunds in the
locality in which he lives. When the
corn began to mature, Uncle Joe dis
5CONcTcu Sl1nS Oh Dear.
I'll have to get the old trap out and
clean it up" he said TO Willie. when
the corn gets ripe [ think we shall be
able to catch bear or two. They'll
come into the cornfield for something
to eat, for the beechnutS and acorns
will be gone by that time, because
there isn't many this year"
So the old trap was brought down
from the shedloft, and Uncle Joe oiled
its stout spring and made such repairs
on it as was necessary, and pronounced
himself ready for Bruin whenever he
was driven by hunger to seek food in
the cornfield.
Il think it must be pretty hard job
to set the trap" said Willie, as he
looked it over. Il don't see how YOU
go to work to crowd the spring down"
"I'll show you about that some day."
answered Joe. Its easy enough when
YOU know how"
Uncle Joe owed about fifty dollars
on span of horses he had bought in
the spring. He had been cutting wood
at odd spells during the summer, which
was to be sold 70 the railroad running
through the village. He could earn
enough in this way to finish paying for
his horses. One day he was notified
by the agent of the railroad company
to haul the wood to town. When it
was there he could have his money for
it. Accordingly he set to work at once.
and at the end of the week the wood
was all piled up at the depot, and he
came back from town with enough
money in his pocket to make the last
payment on his team.
al don care to carry it about with
me" he said to his wife that evening.
Iii put it in this box. It'll be safe
enough here, | guess, till get chance
to send it to Brown" SO Uncle Joe put
the money in box that stood on Il little
shelf in one corner of the living room,
and supposed that no one but himself.
his wife and Willie knew anything about
it. But, us he found out afterward a
tramp saw him put the money away.
Tramps were numerous in that part of
the country and were often discovered
prowling about the house after dark,
but he never once thought of such a
thing as being seen by one when he put
the money in the box. The next after
noon Uncle Joe came from the corn
field and sad that bear had been at
work in the corn.
We'll set the trap tonight he
said. "rll show you how it's done
now, if you'll 90 and bring it in"
Willie went to the shed. took the trap
down from the nail upon which Uncle
Joe had hung it after oiling it, and
brought it into the kitchen.
Bring one of the hand-spikes that's
out bv the wood-pile." said Uncle Joe,
and Willie did So Then his uncle put
one end of the lever in a crack between
the logs of which the house was built.
close to the floor and placed the stiff
spring under it. BY bearing down on
the lever the spring was shut together,
allowing the jaws of the trap to fall
open. 1t was then an easy matter to
fasten them open by turning piece of
iron over one of them and fitting the
end of it in notch at the side of the
pan If anything touched this
pan, the pressure on it released the
iron from the notch and the great
spring would fly up and fling the jaws
together like flash, and whatever
happened to be between them when
they closed was sure to stay there I'M
til some one saw fit to liberate it.
Il see how it is done now" said
Willie. al wouldn't like to get my
foot in there" he added, looking at
the jaws of the trap, which had sharp
teeth something like those of saw,
along each inner edge. Just then n
L. x,-,e hood 81 NJ,
Sampson admitted boy who was
greatly excited. He had come for !
help. Their nearest neighbor had |
been severely injured by a falling tree.
His wife was afraid he would die and |
she wanted Uncle Joe and his wife to
come at once. 1t was beginning to
grow dusky when they went.
Il don't know when Wen be back"
said Uncle Joe. Not till late any
way and probably not tonight. But
you aren't afraid to stay alone, l sup
pose?"
'sOf course not" answered Willie,
and so he was left to take care of the
house, while they went to help their
neighbor in his need. He attended to
the chores about the house and barn.
When this was done it was quite dark.
Then he ate his supper in the kitchen,
and after that he took down his gun.
which he had been using that day, ard
cleaned it carefully, thus using up an
hour of the rather lonesome evening.
He had just put the gun away when he
heard the sound of steps on the path
leading from the road. Uncle Joe
must be coming back" he thought.
But he was mistaken here. The door
opened, and rather suspicious looking