boys, "marten pay
us best because they bring us from $6 for No. 2 to $12 for large No. 1
prime and some years more than that. Lynx pay pretty nearly as well,
when we can get 'em. The trouble is we don't get enough of 'em. We get
some foxes and some mink. The latter are rather down now, but some years
they are high and pay right well. Last and least, but like the pennies
that make the dollars, are the muskrats. They're bringing only thirty
cents now, but I have seen 'em as high as a dollar.

"In other parts of the country are other furs. Coon disna get up as far
as this, and Arctic and blue fox dinna get as far south. We get some
weasel which when pure white is quite worth the trouble of skinning,
little as the critters are. Ye ken it is the ermine of royalty."

"How about bearskins? I suppose they are worth considerable," said
Walter, glancing over at Spud's prize.

"Less than ye will be thinking," replied Alec. "Yon skin is prime--and
will grade as large. What now would ye be thinking it would be bringing
me from a fur buyer this minute?"

"Fifty dollars," ventured Hal.

Alec and Pat smiled. "What do you say, little doctor?" Alec turned to
Upton.

Walter did some quick thinking. He had set in his own mind the same
figure Hal had given, but he had caught that smile of the two trappers
and he suspected that Hal was rather wide of the mark. It didn't seem
possible to him that such a beautiful great skin could be worth less,
but at a venture he cut it in halves. "Twenty-five," said he.

"Knock ten off of that, and ye will be aboot right," said Alec.

"What? Only fifteen dollars for that big skin?" Hal fairly shouted.

Pat laughed outright. "That's all this year. And they never are worth a
great deal. You see, for his size even a rat is worth considerable more,
and is therefore not to be despised. And when you consider the labor of
skinning a big brute like that and then packing out his hide the rats
are more to my liking if there be enough of them."

"Don't you trap for bears at all?" asked Hal. "I had figured on seeing a
bear trap and perhaps finding old bruin in one."

Pat smiled as he noted the look of disappointment on Hal's face. "We
don't trap them this time of year, son, because there are none to trap;
they're denned up for the winter," he explained. "But you shall have a
chance to see a deadfall before you go back. Alec built a couple, but it
was rather too late in the season. They'll be ready for early