yes, and a look of unrest swept into them. He muttered something, and
catching up his bag, shoved in the rat. As he reset the trap, a big
crow dropped from branch to branch on a sycamore above him, and his
back scarcely was turned before it alighted on the ice, and ravenously
picked at three drops of blood purpling there.

Away down the ice-sheeted river led Dannie's trail, showing plainly
across the snow blanket. The wind raved through the trees, and around
the curves of the river. The dark earth of the banks peeping from under
overhanging ice and snow, looked like the entrance to deep mysterious
caves. Jimmy's superstitious soul readily peopled them with goblins and
devils. He shuddered, and began to talk aloud to cheer himself. "Elivin
muskrat skins, times fifteen cints apiece, one dollar sixty-five. That
will buy more than I can hold. Hagginy! Won't I be takin' one long fine
gurgle of the pure stuff! And there's the boys! I might do the grand
for once. One on me for the house! And I might pay something on my back
score, but first I'll drink till I swell like a poisoned pup. And I
ought to get Mary that milk pail she's been kickin' for this last
month. Women and cows are always kickin'! If the blarsted cow hadn't
kicked a hole in the pail, there'd be no need of Mary kicking for a new
one. But dough IS dubious soldering. Mary says it's bad enough on the
dish pan, but it positively ain't hilthy about the milk pail, and she
is right. We ought to have a new pail. I guess I'll get it first, and
fill up on what's left. One for a quarter will do. And I've several
traps yet, I may get a few more rats."

The virtuous resolve to buy a milk pail before he quenched the thirst
which burned him, so elated Jimmy with good opinion of himself that he
began whistling gayly as he strode toward his next trap. And by that
token, Dannie Macnoun, resetting an empty trap a quarter of a mile
below, knew that Jimmy was coming, and that as usual luck was with him.
Catching his blood and water dripping bag, Dannie dodged a rotten
branch that came crashing down under the weight of its icy load, and
stepping out on the river, he pulled on his patched wool-lined mittens
as he waited for Jimmy.

"How many, Dannie?" called Jimmy from afar.

"Seven," answered Dannie. "What for ye?"

"Elivin," replied Jimmy, with a bit of unconscious swagger. "I am
havin' poor luck to-day."

"How mony wad satisfy ye?" asked Dannie sarcastically.

"Ain't got ti