Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-12
Story of the Adventure.

Jane put dinner on the table and
when the boys had partly satisfied their
ravenous appetites we heard the mar
rative of the great adventure in Ben
nett's woods. To begin with. it seems
Charley Larkin wasn't with them. at
all. He was going rabbit hunting and
piece with him. Arriving at the
grounding den, Bud" took command
They found two holes to the den. Jim
was stationed at one with the rife,
while Bud built a fire in the other
to smoke out" Mr.. Woodchuck. Ned
was dispatched to the nearest house
| for mattock, the program being to
dig into the den in case the smoke
| failed to bring results
| Jim sighted his rifle across log and
| drew a bead, he said, on the hole
| through which the grounding was ex-
pected to appear Can't you imagine
| the excitement and suspense? When
Ned got back with the mattock Bud
had a good fire going and Jim was still
drawing bead" Bud had just an
| nounced that he guessed they'd have
| rifle.
him flop"
Jaw. YOU missed him a mile de-
clared Bud in disgust. IF you hit
| him. where is he?"
Jim insisted that the grounding had
Topped back into the hole, but that he
knew he had hit him because he saw
the fur fly.
1t didn't sound reasonable, but they
decided to dig and see. Sure enough,
two feet from the entrance they found
the grounding, dead.
Second One Is "Bagged."
Jim pulled him out and was doing a
war dance, when Ned. who had the
mattock in his hand and was standing
nearest the hole. let out a yell:
There's another" He swung with the
mattock, but missed, and the ground
hog lodged back
BY this time smoke was coming out
through the upper hole. and the boys
were satisfied the grounding wouldn't
stand it long. Bud" was reIoading
the rifle and Ned stood with the mat
took raised, when out he came again.
Ned brought the mattock down with
all his might. and grounding No. 2
was added to the bag"
1t may not sound very thrilling, set
down here in unsympathetic type, but
you should have heard those boys tell
the story. their eyes still shining with
the excitement of it all.
"And did you catch the rabbits the
same way?" Jane asked, interest and
maternal pride wiping out the last
trace of her severity.
Nav" answered Ned. pity and per-
haps a little contempt in his voice.
You don't smoke rabbits out. BUD
shot one Of 'em sittin'. and his other
one was in a gum We caught ourn
right out there in the field in a snare.
That's what we was hollerin' about"
l haven't whipped the boys yet. I
couldn't very well, you know. for after
dinner, though it was o'clock, they
coaxed me into taking lantern and
going with them to visit other snares.
Lesson in Snare Setting.
We didn't find any more rabbits, but
I was given my first lesson in the art
of snare setting. First and most i'm
portant. / was told by my teachers you
mustn't make any more ''muss' than is
absolutely necessary, for If the rabbit
smells you out" he won't go near the |
trap. A stout cord and limb to bend
down or a sapling to bend over are
two of the requisites. The real art lies |
in making the trigger and so setting it |
that when the rabbit goes for the car
rot, which is used for bait, he'll have |
to put his head through the moose in |