The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-08-26

Not seeing, - her lover,
An angel with Heavens light.
-Prouideace Journal.
WILLIE'S TRAP.
Brave and courageous deeds are be-
ing done about us daily, which the world
outside seldom hears of. One of these
deeds has lately como under my obser-
walton, and l am going to tell the boys
who like to hear true stories, what an
other boy has done.
On a small 'homestoad'' farm, in
one of our Western States, lives Uncle
Joe Sampson. 1t is about five miles
away from village, and is rather
lonely place in the woods, with no
neighbors nearer than two miles.
Last fall nephew of Uncle Joe's came
from the city to visit him. Willie
Dane was about fourteen, a quick-wit-
ted, courageous fellow, who had never
been '':n the woods" until that season.
He brought a gun with him, and Uncle
Joe, who is great hunter aud trapper,
took great pleasure in showing his
nephew how to hunt deer and such
other game rs abounds in the locality
in which he lives. When the corn
began to mature, Uncle Joe discovered
Isl gns" of bear.
I'm have to got the old trap out
and clean it up he said to Willie.
when the corn gets ripo think we
shall be able t, catch u bear or two.
They'll come to the corn field for
something to eat, for the beechnuts
aud acorns will be gone by that time,
because there isn't many this year.
So the old trap was brought down
from the shed-loft, and Unclc Joe oiled
its stout spring ana made such
repairs on it rs were necessary, and
pronounced himself ready for Bruin
whenever he was driven by hunger
to seek food in the cornfield.
II think it must be a pretty hard
job to set the trap" said Willie, as he
looked it over. II don't see how YOU
go to work to crowd the spring down."
':I'll show you about that some dav,"
answered Uncle Joe. ''It's casv
enough when you know how
Uncle Joe owed about fifty dollars
on a span of horses he had bought in
the spring. He had been cutting wood
at odd spells during the summer, which
which was to be sold to the railroad
running through the village. He could
earn enough ia this way to finish pay
ing 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 the money for it. Accord.
ingly 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 tho last payment on
his team.
Il don t care to carry it about with
me- he said to his wife that evening.
I'll put it in this box. tn be safe
enough here, l guess, till l get
chance to send it to Brown" So TN
Gle Joe put the money in box that
stood on 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 as he
found out afterward, 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 new
er once thought of such thing as be-
ing seen by one when he put the money
in the box. The next afternoon Uncle
Joe came in from the corn-field and
said that a bear had been at work in
the corn.
well set the trap tonight he
said. ''1'll show you how it's done
now, if you'll 90 and bring it i'm
Willie went to the shed, took the trap
down from the nail upon which Uncle
Joe had hung it after oiling it, and
br ought it into the kitchen.
Bring ono of the hand-spikes that's
out by the wood-pile." said Uncle Joe,
AMI 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 a piece of
iron over one of them and fitting the
end of it in notch ut the side of the
''pan.' fanything touched this ''pan'
the pressure on it released the iron
from the notch, and the great spring
would fly up and fling tho jaws togeth-
er like flash, and whatever happened
to be between them when they closed,
was sure to stay there until some one
saw fit to liberate it.
II see how it is done now, said Will
lie. II 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 knock
was heard at the door, and Mrs. Samp-
son admitted boy who was greatly ex-
cited. He had come for help. Their
nearest neighbor had been severely in
jurcd by falling tree. His wife was
afraid he would die, and she wanted.
ncle Joe and his wife to come atonce
was beginning to grow dusky when
they went.
II don't know when we'll be back"
said Uncle Joe. mot till late, any
way, and probably not tonight. But
you aren't afraid 10 stay alone, sup
pose?'
''Of 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,