partly open flap of the smaller tent. Evidently he must have been awake
at the time, or else the sound of murmuring voices aroused him; for Max
always declared that he was a very light sleeper.

"Bandy-legs here says his trap is sprung," remarked Owen. "He tells us
you fixed a string to his leg and the other end to the loop. Well, that
just gave him word something had happened."

"We'll soon find out," was all Max remarked, as he proceeded to crawl
all the way out of his tent.

Stepping over he picked up the lantern, and a match that had been left
handily near by. And so it took but a fraction of a minute for them to
possess a light that would answer all purposes.

The four of them then approached the place where Bandy-legs had set his
wonderful snare, which he had tested so well himself to start with.

"Huh! I don't see anybody swinging around here!" remarked the always
skeptical Steve.

"Neither do I," added Owen, in a tone of disappointment.

"But see, fellers, the old trap, she's gone off!" exclaimed Bandy-legs,
in a thrilling tone. "Didn't I tell you I felt a pull that woke me up?
It worked, just you bet it did, now."

The hickory sapling was indeed standing up almost straight, with the
loop dangling part way down; but the snare was devoid of any victim.