Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-01-04
s1LvER-GRAY,s CATCHING.

- SILVER-GRAY'Sa CATCHING.
Once there was a fox who lived on
a high mountain in California, and
he knew all about traps. His name
was Silver-Gray, and his winter coat
of fur was SO beautiful that any lady
would be proud to wear IT. In fact,
SO many ladies wanted to wear fur
like his that merchants offered great
price for the skins Of all his broth
ers, the family of silver-gray foxes.
Now there were in California many
men who had trapped beavers and
minks In the days when people liked
to wear those furs. And when they
heard Of the great price offered for
the skins Of silver-gray foxes they
took their heavy steel traps and their
rifles and provisions, and climbed to
the top Of the high mountains which
are called Sierra Nevada, that is,
Mountains Of Snow. There, when the
snow ay heavy on the ground and Sill
ver-Gray's fur was fine and long, they
set their traps to catch him. But
while they caught many Of his cou-
sins, the black foxes and cross-foxes,
and also many Of his own brothers.
the silver-grays, they did not catch
SilversG Gray himself because he knew
all about traps.
No matter how carefully they bur-
led their steel traps in the snow, Sill
ver-Gray knew where they were. He
could smell the iron, and the touch
of their hands, and even where their
shoes had trodden the ground. For
days after they had set them, when
the scent had died out In the cold
air, Silver-Gray could still smell the
Iron Of the traps; and he kept away.
When spring same and Silver-Gray
shed his winter fur, all the trappers
went down to the valley, for they did
not want his skin unless 1t was COW
cred with the heavy hair which grew
when the weather as cold.
Next winter, as soon as the snow
lay deep on the Sierra Nevada Noun
tains and Silver-Gray's skin was once
more covered with fine long fur, all
the trappers came back to their cab
! &c &, = TIC ,cc,sctotns ord got their
traps again. For SO beautiful was the
fur Of silver-gray foxes that every
lady in the land wanted a skin, but
the silver-gray foxes were SO scarce
that the great price of the year before
had been doubled.
But there was an old man with
long beard who had trapped for
many years, and when he saw Silver
Gray's track in the snow he knew that
| the fox's skin was wortha great price.
So, while the other trappers left the
mountains, he remained behind; for
he had resolved to catch SilverGray.
! II 1t took all winter.
It was all silent in the great noun.
tains when Silver-Gray, the old fox,
trotted out across the white snow that
glistened in the moonlight and passed
along the hillside where the snares
were set for grouse. It was great
( Joke to catch the trapper's birds be-
fore he could use them for bait; and
at the thought Of the tender bird that
he had eaten, Silver-Gray turned
aside and went up to the snares. A
sudden wind roared through the sway.
ing tops Of the black pine trees. and
he stopped to listen. Silver-Gray did
! not know it, but the wind was singing
a warning song. He was about to
be caught.
There was nothing In the snares
yet as he listened, he seemed to hear,
even above the moaning Of wind In
the trees, faint the futter
Of wings. Alert, he stood there with
the moonlight shining on his beauti-
full fur, and he pricked his ears to
catch the sound.
Whks, whks, 1t whispered very
faintly-but 1t came from the log on
the hill. Eagerly the fox crouched
down and glided silently toward IT.:
then with one foot raised, he stopped
] and listened, snufflng the air ever
/ SO lightly.
Whks, whks, whispered the wings
again, soft as the rustic of mouse.
Then whrr! and whrr! in storm
Of anguished fluttering, for the grouse
had heard his step and knew that he
was coming.
Sngrr! snarled silverGray, and
rushed toward,it.
Chuck! went the steel trap beneath
him, and the strong JAWS seized his
foot in grip that nipped like death.
Bite and struggle as he would, 1.-The
cruel iron, the iron which smelled Of
man, and had once been his deadly
| fear, still clutched him by the leg
and only the hands Of man could make
1t loose its hold.
With the cold body OF the grouse
beside him, Silver-Gray lay moaning
and snarling, while he waited for his
captor to come. But even in his
agony he bowed his head in shame
1 to think that he was caught. He had
pitted his cunning against the cum
ming Of Old Ransome- now, in
the grip of icy steel, he had learned
the last thing about traps.-From
Dane Coolidge's "The Fox Who Knew
All About Traps" in st. Nicholas.
MY FUNNY BOOKS,
A long time ago began making
| \ M l.A1