Montana, Idaho and Washington, to look up a site to do a
little trapping this winter. There is much more game here than in the
East, but nothing like you hear talked of. I found the mountains too
steep and the underbrush too thick and from what I could learn, I was
afraid the weather was too cold for one of my age and condition of
health, but, oh boys, what trout fishing I found in the Clearwater;
this is a branch of Snake River and empties into that river at
Lewiston, Idaho.

As I found things, I thought I would return to old Potter County,
Pennsylvania, and have a little fun trapping the fox and skunk as
that is about the only game there is in this section when we have no
beechnuts, for that is the only mast we have here. We have no
beechnuts this season and most of the fur bearing animals have
migrated south of here where there are chestnuts, acorns and hickory
nuts.

Brothers, I will tell you where my camp is, and you will always find
the latch-string out. My camp stands at the very head of the
Allegheny River, 1700 feet above sea level. From the cabin door you
could throw a stone over the divide to where the water flows into the
west branch of the Susquehanna. In a half hour a person can, from my
camp, catch trout from the waters of the Allegheny, and the
Susquehanna.

As we have no beechnuts we have no bears, so I have not set my bear
traps. This will cut my sport considerably short. I have put out but
about sixty small traps, so I spend my time about equally between
camp and home.

I will send a picture of myself and my old dog Mage, who I believe
knows more about trapping than some families. But poor old Mage is 13
years old and is following the down trail very rapidly. He is quite
deaf and gets around with difficulty. Poor fellow, he is nearly to
the end of the trail.

[Illustration: WOODCOCK AND HIS OLD TRAPPING DOG--MAGE. THE BEST
TRAPPING DOG THAT EVER TROD THE EARTH.]

The furs shown in the picture are my first four days' catch with
forty traps: 9 fox, 2 coon, 1 mink and 7 skunk. My catch to date,
November 25, in thirteen days is 14 fox, 27 skunk, 9 coon and 1 mink.

* * *

Brothers, I will give some reasons why I do not write more of my
experience as a trapper. First, I am not much given to writing.
Second, my experiences in trapping are so different from so many
trappers who write, that I thought it best to say but little or
nothing about trapping. I could call myself, "Old Honesty," and
th