Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-17

sprung muskrat trap looked with IN
creasing Indignation at one another
That's the seventh muskrat that's
been hooked on us this week. sputtered
Ned Kennedy.
"Are you sure they've been hooked?'
questioned Obed Evans, who was a
trihe slow of perception. Perhaps they
wiggled loose and left their paws be-
hind"
"Wiggle nothing" drawled Charles
Snow. who was master trapper, forcing
the jaws of the steel trap and picking
up the lone paw. See there-sliced Oh
clean with a knife. The thief is too
blamed lazy to pry the traps OPEN
..At this rate we'll never get ouf
baseball uniforms" groaned the boys
do you suppose Darky George is rob-
bling us?'
Darky George was a shiftless colored
man who lived not far from the swamp.
He worked very little and hunted and
trapped a good deal to make precarl-
Gus livelihood. but as far as the boys
knew he respected other peoples traps,
..Darky George knows where we set
our traps, for he told me the most of the
mo, I don't think old George would
play it low down on us like that. Let's
set this trap again and start for nome.
AS they soberly tramped from the
swamp they were hailed by an elderly
man, who demanded, What We been
doing in the swamp, boys--looking for
cattails?. at the same time smiling
sourly at his witty question.
"It's stingy old Farmer Plum-he
owns slathers of land around here
whispered Charlie. mo, SIR he
drawled, we've been looking for musk
rats in our traps, but some one has been
there ahead of US"
Smart lot of boys we are, to set traps
for other people to gather the fur, said
the old farmer.
IF the thief don't look out, We'll set
a trap for him., sputtered Ned ex-
citedly.
"'Twon't do we no good, for II my
suspicious is correct he's too deep and
dark-specially dark-for We. Take my
advice and set hens-ye're too slow
lot to ketch muskrats, chuckled the old
man as he walked away.
""Too deep and dark-specially dark
he means that Darky George is rob-
Nbing u.s." said Ned. 1t had been hard
winter and the old colored man was
heavily in debt at the corner store, and
the muslrat skins were bringing 20
cents apiece; the suspicion sank deep
well lay low and catch him red
handed" the boys declared as they
parted.
In spite of their watchfulness the
thefts continued regularly. The thief
was an adept and no matter where they
hid the traps, they were ferreted out
and despoiled Of their catch. In every
case a paw was left In the trap indicat-
ing the thief went the rounds in a
hurry.
The boys in their trips to the swamp
were continually meeting Farmer Plum.
who numerically ieered them. RE
member what l told we about setting
hens?" he would ask with an unpleas-
ant laugh, and they would silently grit
their teeth. They hated the stingy old
farmer.
Suspicion as to who was robbing
their traps became a certainty when
Charlie, loafing about the corner store
one day, pulled open bundle of musk
rat peltries and found half dozen mi
nus paw.
where did this lot come from, Mr..
Kilpatrick?" he asked carelessly.
Lets see - why, Darky George
brought in that bundle. Told an odd
story, too, about finding dead muskrats
with one paw gone, near his well"
ooh, he did. did he?" drawled Char
lie, changing the subject.
Lets borrow Mr.. Evans bear trap
and set it for him." said the boys when
Charlie reported the conclusive evil
dence of the colored mans thievery.
Got something better than that
drawled Charlie, producing q package
from his pocket. See that? That's
piano wire
"Piano wire! How are you going to
make a trap of piano wire?" asked the
boys
"Twitch up" said Charlie briefly
"You can't see this wire when 1t Is
strung under your nose and 1t is strong
enough to hold five men. Well set
quiet twitchup and bait it with musk
rat and I guess old George will be
pretty sorry he did not stick to his own
traps and let ours alone"
"Hurrah" said Ned and Obed de-
nghtedly.
Close to a muskrat run" they found
a. young hickory tree which was APP
parently planted there for their pur-
rose. 1t took the combined strength OF
the three boys to bend it and arrange
the details of the invisible twitchup,
but it was finally done.
"Some how / hate to think 1t Is old
George that is robbing us, said Char
lie well, we will soon know for sure,
he added, as he arranged the piece of
tree that formed the trigger of the
twitchup.
"Ain't it most time you caught that
theft" asked Farmer Plum, meeting
the boys as they emerged from the
swamp The trio glowered darby and
hurried on. Better quit setting traps
and try setting called the farmer
after them. The latter part of the re-
mark was lost in an irritating chuckle
Hang the old closefist!" muttered
the boys.
Little sleep came to the excited
youths that night, and bright and early
in the morning they We're on their way
to inspect the man-trap. 1t was sprung.
Long before they came to the place they
heard a savage outpouring of oaths. and
frightened, now that they had taken a
grown man captive, they took to their
heels for help.
"Darky George caught in a twitchup
down in the swamp? Guess not; he
went down the road toward the corners
not fifteen minutes ago" said one of
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