tting late."

The others were soon visited; but no more foxes were caught. However,
the accountant set them both off to see that all was right; and then
re-adjusting one himself, told Harry to set the other, in order to clear
himself of the charge of boasting.

Harry, nothing loath, went down on his knees to do so.

The steel trap used for catching foxes is of exactly the same form as
the ordinary rat-trap, with this difference, that it has two springs
instead of one, is considerably larger, and has no teeth, as these
latter would only tend to spoil the skin. Owing to the strength of the
springs, a pretty strong effort is required to set the trap, and clumsy
fellows frequently catch the tails of their coats or the ends of their
belts, and not unfrequently the ends of their fingers, in their awkward
attempts. Having set it without any of the above untoward accidents
occurring, Harry placed it gently on a hole which he had previously
scraped--placing it in such a manner that the jaws and plate, or
trigger, were a hairbreadth below the level of the snow. After this he
spread over it a very thin sheet of paper, observing as he did so that
hay or grass was preferable; but as there was none at hand, paper would
do. Over this he sprinkled snow very lightly, until every vestige of
the trap was concealed from view, and the whole was made quite level
with the surrounding plain, so that even the accountant himself, after
he had once removed his eyes from it, could not tell where it lay. Some
chips of a frozen ptarmigan were then scattered around the spot, and a
piece of wood left to mark its whereabouts. The bait is always
scattered _round_ and not _on_ the trap, as the fox, in running from one
piece to another, is almost certain to set his foot on it, and so get
caught by the leg; whereas, were the bait placed _upon_ the trap, the
fox would be apt to get caught, while in the act of eating, by the
snout, which, being wedge-like in form, is easily dragged out of its
gripe.

"Now, then, what say you to going farther out on the river, and making a
snow trap for white foxes?" said the accountant. "We shall still have
time to do so before the moon sets."

"Agreed," cried Harry. "Come along."

Without further parley they left the spot and stretched out towards the
sea.

The snow on the river was quite hard on its surface, so that snow-shoes
being unnecessary, they carried them over their shoulders, and advanced
much mo