The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-07-08

IN o"A WI
Wednesday week? | fear its visit will
bring us no good. The day before your
poor father was lost = raven pcrched
upon the house-tOp and croaked dismal
lN. 1t was an ill-omened bird.
Il saw two ravens the same day, and
don't YOU re nember how hard ii froZe
that night? and found three foxes in
the trap mkt morning. No won
der the black fellow croaked so the
other day; | suppose il WAS ecaus it
was cold"
Jan said this very seriously. but there
was a shrewd humor in his black eyes.
His mother sighed. She was think
ing of stout Ulf's fate. and the ravens
visit had filled her mind with a dread
forchodimg.
However. after breakfast wae over,
she old IlSe that She might put on her
cidcr-fincd Jacket and scarlet cloth
! hood. and 90 with her brother. The
child needed no second bidding. and hy
the time Jan was ready .he WAS pre-
pared for the journey.
Mind and let nothing bcfalI your
sister. Jan" rnjoincd the widow. as the
children. hand in hand. walked away
from the door. the boy carrying 4
sharp hatchrt in his hand. the only
weapon he had. Lead her carefully
over the ice. and return as early Is y"u
can.
Yes. YES. | will" replied Jan. We
| will rct back by noon: and don't worry.
mother: | don't believe the raven
meant anythin@.'
They skipped away. talking and
laughing mcrrily. Their mother stood
and watched them as they went across
the snow-fieId - watched them until
she could distinguish no longer Jams
green spencer or Ilse's scarlet hood. and
then, uttcring Il sigh, she returned 1"
her household IaborS.
The place where JAMS traps were set
was at some distance from the hut. He
had several set. indeed. near the sea.
for seals. and only the second day be
fore hr had been lucky enough to find
a big fellow in one of them.
But the traps he WAS going to visit
/ lll> MOI llile WITT 81 N'i'''' -
tic foxes. and smaller animals that
sometimes were seen in that cold north
ern land.
These traps were nothing like those
with which the boys of New England
are familiar.
Jan did not have Il single steel trap
i'm his possession. His traps were made
| mostly of ice. something after the prin-
| ciple of the colleague and h figure
| four combined. or perhaps more like
big hoN-trap>.
He had spent five days in tn" early
winter in making them. For bait he
used fish for seals. and for foxes moth
iug less than cheese made from old
Mans milk.
Tn" preceding day and night snow
had fallen and ii lay pretty thi"k'y on
rhr ice. but in many places il had blown
oil and tie children had no trouble in
advancing.
After having passed half a mile or
50. they turned around a cliff and lost
sight of the cottage. The traps were
Il h@if-miir further on. and they pro
ccrdcd toward them in IL direct i man
ncr :s they could. only turning from
| their course to avoid the deep drifts,
and usually finding a path over the ic"
| that WAS free from ice and slippery a.
mIas>. In some places. however. this
path WAS 50 narrow that they could not
walk abreast.
When they had nearly arrived al the
traps Jan noticed several lar%" tracks
in the oft SNOW. lie paused a moment
to examine them.
Keen as Il youn" Eskimo. he knew
at once that they were made by = bear.
and also that they must have been lett
there since the snow stopped falling.
Perhaps the dreaded animal had visited
his traps. lie might even he there
then. and would ii not bc dangerous to
keep II
The brave boy looked around with a
sharp. eager eye. but he saw nothing of
any animal in sight.
He stood and listened. thinking the
Nothing was 70 he heard. Possibly
Rruin had wandered far away by this
time. and at the thought Jan concluded
to 90 Oh.
1t was only a few steps now 10 the
traps. or. as they might be called. ice
houses. where he hoped al least TO find
a fox or a marten entrapped.
They had all been securely set. and
with bait that was peculiarly attractive
to the fur-bearing animals of that re-
"ion. TIE first one he arrived at he
found undisturbed. But the second.
All. that one was sprung. He knew il
even before he saw the fallen ice-bar.
There must be something in it. then.
lie ran forward in his great excite
ment. leaving Ilse to trudge along more
slowly. The trap was occupied.
He lifted up the block of ice that
formed the entrance. and there lay a
great gray fox. looking gaunt and
fierce. but harmless enough now. for it
was cold as a stone.
While engaged in skinning the dead
animal. he heard an exclamation from
his sister.
Jan looked up. There stood a huge,
white. shaggy creaIRre. much bigger
,L,, IL, I,rr.S, .ad ayerSapn-