Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1906-03-16

been so wrought up. Of course, had
she seen those animals suffering, i;
would have wrung her heart, but as
she did not see it, and as in all pro-
ability no one had called her attal-to--
directly to the matter.
Most OF the fur-bearlng animals ar
very tenacious of life, and when -ca;:2;:9
in trap are apt to live for days IN
less killed by the trapper or by some
other wild animal.
Trappers in small way of bust
ness Set few traps and are able to
visit them every day, and in such
cases the captured creatures cannot
suffer for more than "a hours. But
even so, think of the torture endured
by wild thing lying in the jaws Of
a steel trap for single night.
You simply cannot imagine it, IN
less you happen to have an experience
similar to that of a trapper I met
some years ago. He was returning
to camp after a long and wearisome
day, during which he had had nothing
to eat since four in the morning. He
still had five miles to 60, when, as he
made his way through a narrow ravine
in the woods, something jumped from
the ground and seized him violently by
the leg. He had stepped into 4 bear
trap.
Al the first fierce grip Of the devilish
jaws, which drove steel spikes into
the flesh of his leg to the very bone,
he involuntarily screamed out with
the pain. The cry echoed through the
hills, and then there was silence, and
with it the realization that no sound
he could make would be heard by any
human being. In moment Of panic
he struggled violently, but he only in
tensified the pain by tearing his flesh
Then in spite of the torture he SUI
fered, he carefully examined the trap
to see if there was not some way in
which he could open the jaws. But it
was the work Of two men to set that
trap, and then it could only be done
with the aid of an instrument made
on purpose. He tried to move it bod
lily, but it weighed several hundred
pounds, without counting the chain
and the heavy log to which it was
stapled. In spite of the low tempera-
ture the perspiration burst from his
pores, and in his agony he clenched his
lists and dug his nails and even his
teeth into the earth and the bark Of
nearby trees.
Night was coming on, and a cold
wind sprang up, driving before it q
furry of snow.
BY and by he felt easier-the pres
sure of the steel jaws upon his leg had
stopped the circulation and the limb
was becoming numb Presently the
PAIN ceased altogether, but there was
little comfort in the fact, for he knew
mat the leg was gradually freezing
solid. Then he gathered his remain
ing strength and shouted over and
over again, and the despairing cries
echoed back and forth from hill to hill.
But the only answer was the boot of
an owl, and as he realized his probable
tate, he broke down and groaned.
Wnen he left camp that morning he
was strong man, but hunger, expos
ure and the mental and physical suf-
fer1ng to which he had been subjected
had made him as weak as a child.
Fortunately Nature had mercy on him,
and ne tainted, and knew nothing
more OF the snow which was slowly
shutting OF his last chance of rescue
by hiding him from those who might
possibly 60 out to search for him.
ERNEsT HAROLD RAYNEa.