Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-08-26

to get even with my hateful foe. At
last l hit upon schemo which |
thought might possibly succeed-pro-
vided the following night should
prove windy ono
Going out late next morning found
my traps robbed. as usual but was
rejoiced to SEQ signs of an an.
proaching storm. 1t care on an hour
afterward, and before shutdown a full
gale was blowing in tho right direc-
ton to suit my purpose.
Out near tho edge OF tho forest
thcro was then lying the hollow trunk
OF an immense elm tree-the leading
factor in my calculations During
the afternoon | had taken into my
confidence neighbors boy OF my own
size. Him | dressed up in my every
day hat and clothes gave him riilo
and Il bountiful supply of doughnuts.
and packed him OF to keep watch all
night at tho foot of the rocks 1t was
wild kind OF an idea; but believed
that the wolverine could reason 10
some extent and that supposing the
watcher to be me, and the traps con-
sc1ucntly unguarded. he would como
down for his accustomed fun.
Then l went out aud planted a fox
trap, right in the winds eye not
more than ten feet from the open end
of the hollow log and in line with the
center of its cavity. Having baited
the trap with some choice morsels OF
raw chicken sprinkled with oil of
rhodium. ! went home to supper.
When it became dark | borrowed
my fathers heavy eight-gauSe duck
ing gun. loaded each of the larrels
with six drains of powder and twelve
No. | buckshot and went hopefully
away on my enterprise. Arrived at
the log | showed myself feet forem ost
into tho hollow. dragg ing Il chunk of
rotten wood and tho gun, butt first
after me.
From the entrance up to where the
tree became solid its cavity was prob.
ably thirty feet long, and at the lower
end. fully twenty inches in diameter
giving mo lots Of room for all need.
full operations. Going in until |
judged that my gun was two feet from
the outer edge OF the hole | turned
over on my breast rested tho barrel
on the soft chunk of wood and waited
events.
Within my hiding place all was
black as pitch. Not oven the oye of
II lynx could have penetrated tho
gloom one inch beyond the opening,
but |, looking out through the tube
into tho really dark. though by CON
trast comparatively light night could
see the outlines of surrounding OBJ ects.
or rather objects in front of me.
All my hopes Of success lay In tho
wind. which was now blowing almost
a hurricane, directly from the trap to
mo. This would not only render it.
impossible for my expected prey to
scent me. but its moaning through
tho adjacent tree tops would eifectual-
ly cover the noise of any slight move
ment | might be compelled to mako.
Hour after hour l lay in my narrow
quarters. feeling a bit lonesome but
comfortable. and heard nothing on
cept the soughing of the gale and the
grooming response of the vcxed forest
giants. Neither could | sec any
thing unusual though | now became
SO habituated to gazing out of my
the exact spot where my trap was set.
The storm still ragged furiously, but
no rain fell; and l was dry. snug and
warm rs possible while | said, conf
dentially to myself: 'Oh, if that
rascally beast would only Gomez [
actually began to feel u little super
stitious on the subject and remem.
bering how often the crafty brute had
fooled me- suspicion arose within
me that he might even then be laugh
ing at my simple ruse.
1t must have been nearly midnig ht
when, fatigued by staring so long in
one direction. / closed my eyes for u
minute. On opening them again |
saw that some change had occurred
in the cont tour of the grounds surface
n few yards beyond the trap. There
seemed to be n little mound or lump
there which | had not noticed before.
but as it remained meantime cutie
motionless | could not tell whether it
was mass of inert matter or the
co led-up body OF an animal.
Although there was not tho slight
est chance of any noise l was likely
to make being carried outward in the
face OF that tornado | hardly VEN
tured to breathe as | looked steadily
at the mysterious object, in which,
for fully ten minutes there was no ap-
pearan C of life.
'Pooh!" | muttered; its nothing
but a lot OF leaves heaped up by the
wind"
The whisper had barely crossed my
lips when the thing rose 10 greater
height and came little nearer and
saw that it was indeed wild beast
but OF what kind could not in that
uncertain light determine After
noiselessly advancing foot or two. tho
creature lay down again and SO re
manned for some time and then
caught the CLEAN of pair of green
eyes! Still | would not shoot; for it
might be only a lynx. marten or rae
coon. So with my heart in my throat
! watched it curiously as little by lit
tie and with extreme caution, it stole
along until close to the trap.
Then it looked to me like bear
cub. But its next move dispelled
that illusion. Being apparent
ly satisfied that the coast
was clear. it settled down by the side
of the concealed trap and seemed 10
be intently studying its exact posi-
tion. Then deftly us miner might
have done. it dug around and under
it, with vigorous toss ierked it into