old Jesse Wilcox has begun to set his traps yet; that's his
stamping-ground, you know, during the winter, and he makes quite a haul
of muskrats, 'coons, some mink and even an otter once in a long while,"
said Bluff, enthusiastically--he was always a leading spirit in new
ventures, but lacked the pertinacity of Frank.

"Don't you worry, old fellow, I'll be Johnny-on-the-spot when it comes
to delivering the goods. But all further talking had better be put off
until we find out whether we can go or not. So I move we adjourn, to
meet again an hour from now at Will's shack," remarked young Langdon,
always logical.

They had stopped to talk the matter over alongside one of the stores in
the town; and indeed Bluff was perched upon an empty box, that lay at the
foot of a small pyramid of similar cases, piled up until such time as
they could be sold or destroyed.

While the others were talking, Jerry had made a little discovery that
aroused both his curiosity and his temper: he had seen a touseled head,
surmounted by a cap he knew full well, push up a little above the rim of
the most elevated empty box, as if some concealed listener might be
endeavoring to hear better, and in his eagerness recklessly exposed
himself in this way.

Jerry was always prompt about doing things, nor did he, as a rule, stop
to figure what the immediate consequences might prove to be.

Indignation at the idea of their conference having been overheard
possessed his soul, and, seeing a splendid chance to bring the plans
of the listener to a sudden and disastrous end, he managed without