uld have seen
but few fox signs. I usually trap on a different piece of ground each
year. I know of some trappers here that begin trapping the first of
September and they are good trappers too, but they are so greedy,
they are willing to kill the "goose that lays the golden egg."

* * *

Several years ago, through the courtesy of Mr. John Shawl, one of the
Tide Water Pipe Line Co's telegraph operators, I was allowed the use
of one of their offices for camping purposes during the trapping
season. Now, do not think that this office was located in a town, for
it was not. On the contrary, it was located in the largest wooded
section of this locality, and on the old Jersey Shore Turnpike. There
was a path or sort of a woods road at the point where this office was
located, leading from this road to another road, a distance of more
than four miles and making a cut off for people who wished to go on
to the waters of the Sinnamahoning or Kettel Creek in Northern
Pennsylvania.

It was customary for me to stay in camp for a week or ten days and
then go home and stay two or three days. One day on returning from
one of my trips home, I had rather better luck than coming, getting 5
fox, 3 coon and 1 wildcat. I usually hung my furs on the side of the
building close up under the eaves until I went home, then I would
take them home on the following morning of the day I had caught them.

There was a rap at the door about five o'clock in the morning and on
going to the door, I found two men with a lantern; one man of middle
age, the other a young man. There had just been a fall of snow of
about four inches, and the men were going onto the Cross Fork of
Kettel Creek, deer hunting. They had stayed at a farm house on the
other road and had started from this house between three and four
o'clock in the morning. Seeing a light in the office, they thought
they would come in and stay until daylight.

The old gentleman inquired what I was doing there. I informed him
that I was trying to trap a little. He said that he should not think
it would pay me, but if I could catch a fox it would be different, as
he had seen several tracks along the road by the light of the
lantern. He also told me that he had a recipe for making fox scent,
that was a dead sure thing, and as I lived so far from his place, I
would not be liable to interfere with his trapping, he would knock
off one-half his usual price and sell me a recipe for five dollars.

I said I