oys, boys, I've got him! I've got the Mink!"

They seized the trap and held it cautiously up for the sunlight to
shine through the bars, and there saw to their disgust that they had
captured only the old gray Cat. As soon as the lid was raised she
bounded away, spitting and hissing, no doubt to hurry home to tell the
Kittens that it was all right, although she had been away so long.

XV

A Visit from Raften

"Sam, I must have another note-book. It's no good getting up a new
'massacree' of Whites, 'cause there ain't any note-books there, but
maybe your father would get one the next time he drove to Downey's
Dump. I suppose I'll have to go on a peace party to ask him."

Sam made no answer, but looked and listened out toward the trail, then
said: "Talk of the er--Angels, here comes Da."

When the big man strode up Yan and Guy became very shy and held back.
Sam, in full war-paint, prattled on in his usual style.

"Morning, Da; I'm yer kid. Bet ye'r in trouble an' want advice or
something."

Raften rolled up his pendulous lips and displayed his huge front tusks
in a vast purple-and-yellow grin that set the boys' hearts at ease.

"Kind o' thought you'd be sick av it before now."

"Will you let us stay here till we are?" chimed in Sam, then without
awaiting the reply that he did not want, "Say, Da, how long is it
since there was any Deer around here?"

"Pretty near twenty years, I should say."

"Well, look at that now," whispered the Woodpecker.

Raften looked and got quite a thrill for the dummy, half hidden in the
thicket, looked much like a real deer.

"Don't you want to try a shot?" ventured Yan.

Raften took the bow and arrow and made such a poor showing that he
returned them with the remark. "Sure a gun's good enough for me,"
then, "Ole Caleb been around since?"

"Old Caleb? I should say so; why, he's our stiddy company."

"'Pears fonder o'you than he is of me."

"Say, Da, tell us about that. How do you know it was Caleb shot at
you?"

"Oh, I don't know it to prove it in a coort o' law, but we quarr'led
that day in town after the Horse trade an' he swore he'd fix me an'
left town. His own stepson, Dick Pogue, stood right by and heard him
say it; then at night when I came along the road by the green bush I
was fired at, an' next day we found Caleb's tobacco pouch and some
letters not far away. That's about all I know, an' all I want to know.
Pogue served him a mean trick about the farm, but