Their trap had been sprung by the aid of a long
pole, which was still fast under the heavy roof; the lever and rope
had been carried away; and the bag of corn which Don had hung upon
the sapling had also disappeared. Don was provoked, and laid up in
his mind a few sharp words, to be addressed to Godfrey on the
subject, should they ever happen to meet again; but he had very
little to say. The boys had been thoughtful enough to bring an axe, a
piece of rope and another small bag of corn with them, and, although
they had no assurance that their labor would not be wasted, they set
the trap again and started for home.
"If Godfrey did that," said Don, "he must have swam the bayou, unless
he has a boat hidden away in the bushes somewhere, which is not
likely. If it was summer now, he would probably spring that trap
every day, just to keep us from catching that bear; but the weather
is getting frosty, and he'll not relish many more cold baths. I don't
think he will trouble us that way any more."
When they reached the mouth of the bayou, Bert, who was steering,
directed the canoe across the lake, toward the point on which the
shooting-box was located. During a pause in the conversation, he
looked toward the place where it ought to be, but could see nothing
of it.
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