New Britain herald., 1928-12-17

Il could so right in there and
come right out again and it wouldn't
make any difference said Buster
Bear. as he stood in front OF the
open door OF the queer little log
house. There is meat in there -
pig meat--and I want it. There isn't
anybody about. II wont take me
minute 10 get in there and get
that meat and get out again
StiIl he hcsitatcd He couldn't
forget that Eobcat that had been
made prisoner in that lo.housr.
How that Cat had been made a pris-
oncr. he hadn't the slightest idea.
But 1t made him suspicious There
was something queer about that lit
tie house. Yes. sir, there Mas some
thing queer.
Back and forth and round and
round that little house Buster
prowlcd. Most of the time he was
two or three feet away. but occa-
sionally he would 70 close enough to
sniff at the logs of which the house
vas built. II was very small
house. There were no windows in II.
The front door, which vas open. was
the only door. What it could be for
and why the meat had been left In
II was more than Buster could I'M
derstand. That piece Of meat was
clear at the back. In order to get in
Buster would have to go wholly in.
Once he stopped and poked his head
In. Then in sudden panic he back
ed out. But nothing had happened.
Everything was Just a. 1t had been
before. Buster sat up and stared a
long time at that little house. Final
~ he had happy thought.
Perhaps there's a way in from
up on top" thought Buster. '1'Il
climb up on that house and see what
1t - like. l might find a way in up
there. Certainly it will do no harm. -
80 Buster climbed up on top.
when he got UP there he discovered
nothing but two or three sticks.
They were arranged in curious
way. At the very front little pile
Of logs. one right up on top Of an
other. seemed to be held by one OF
these sticks. Presently Buster reach
ed out an exploring paw and touch
ed one Of these sticks gently. Moth
ing happened. twas just such a
stick as the other sticks. Buster
reached out and hit it sharply with
one OF his big paws. In fact. he hit
II so hard that he knocked it off the
roof. Things happened fast enough
then. thought lust what it all was
Buster didn't know. excepting that
those piled up logs began TO drop.
He himself made a bound off the
roof and ran away to safe dis
tance. Then he turned to look back.
Everything looked all right. except
ing that those sticks and logs on top
OF the roof we're no longer there.
Buster walked around in front.
Still at a safe distance. Then his
eyes opened very wide. He could no
longer sac into that queer little
house. The door vas closed. You see.
what Buster had taken to be just
some logs piled up really was a d Jor
made Of logs; door held up by the
stick that he had struck. When he
had knocked that stick out, the door
had simply dropped. That queer lit
tie house wasn't house at all 1t
was what is known as a pen-trap. If
Buster had gone inside and tried TO
take the meat that was fastened
there at the back. he would have
sprung that door just as he did. The
main difference would have been
that he would have been a prisoner.
As II was. Buster was very lucss. It
was a fortunate thing for him that
he had climbed up on top and med
died with those sticks. instead Of
going inside and meddling with the
meat.
Downright. 1928. by T. w burgess,
The next story: THE Trappor
Tries Another Plan