at a point he supposed he would find something.

And, sure enough, he presently caught the chain and speedily pulled out
the trap. It was not empty. A plump-looking muskrat was caught by both
forelegs.

"You got him, all right, sure," commented Steve.

Trapper Jim was taking the victim out, and carefully resetting the trap
in the same place it had been before; after which he renewed the bait.

"Like as not I'll have another to-morrow, and for days to come," he
remarked; "unless they get suspicious on account of the scent we leave by
touching things. I try to kill that all I can. But when animals are
unusually timid, it's often necessary to come in a boat, and do it all
without setting a foot on shore, because, you know, water leaves neither
trail nor scent."

"Yes, the sharpest-nosed hound in the world is knocked out, I've read,
when the game takes to the water."

It was Owen who made this remark, and the trapper nodded his head in
approval as he added:

"I see you are a great reader, my boy. That's a mighty fine thing.
There's only one that's better--proving the truth of things by actual
experience. And while you're up here in the grand old North Woods with me
I hope you'll pick up a lot of useful information that you never would
find in any school books. Now we're ready to visit the second trap that
was set a little farther along."