the
end of the chain, and driven down to act as a peg in the ground.

I had hardly arrived at all this when I heard Uncle Jack's cough, and
hastily closing the desk and locking it, I went to meet him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting so long, my boy," he said; "but I wanted to
send word to your father how we are going on."

It was on the second night that I put my plan into practice.

I had thought it all well out, and inspected my ground, which was just
below the wall, pretty close to the edge of the dam, where I had seen
some marks which had made me suspicious.

So as soon as Uncle Bob had gone to lie down, and I had begun my half of
the watch, I fastened up Piter, took out my heavy trap, carried it down
to the edge of the dam, and carefully felt the wall for the place I had
marked by driving in a little nail.

I soon found it, placed my trap exactly beneath it, and wrenching down
the spring by means of the lever, I tried to set it.

I had practised doing this in my own place, and could manage it pretty
well, but in the darkness and excitement that troubled me now, it proved
to be an exceedingly difficult job. Twice I managed to get it set, and
was moving away when it went off with a startling clang that made me
jump, and expect to see Uncle Bob come running out, especially as the
dog set up a furious bark.

I quieted Piter though each time, and went and tried again till I
managed my task, having to take great care that I did not hoist myself
with my own petard, for it was a terribly dangerous engine that I was
setting, though I did not think so then.

It was now set to my satisfaction, and being quite prepared with a big
hammer, my next task was to drive in the lever like a peg right through
the ring and up to the head, so that if I did catch my bird, there would
be no chance of his getting away.

I felt about in the dark for a suitable place, and the most likely
seemed to be just at the extent of the five feet of chain, which reached
to the edge of the dam, where, between two of the big stones of the
embankment, I fancied I could drive in the lever so that it could not be
drawn out.

So taking the steel bar with the sharp edge I ran it through the ring,
directed the point between two blocks of stone, and then began to drive.

As I said I was well prepared, having carefully thought out the whole
affair, and I had bound several thicknesses of cloth over the head of
the hammer like a pad so as to muffle the