our way like the Levite in the
old story of the Good Samaritan," remarked Jack, busily disengaging
his bundle of fish which Abe had done up in a piece of old bagging.

"I'm the last one to do such a thing," asserted Tom, "only I chanced
to remember that there are some tough boys up here somewhere--Hank and
his crowd--and I was wondering if this could be a trick to get us to
put our fingers in a trap."

Jack chuckled, and held up his gun.

"We ought to be able to take care of ourselves with this," he told his
chum.

"Right you are, Jack! So let's be on the jump. There! that sounded
like a big groan, didn't it? Somebody's in a peck of trouble. Maybe a
wood-chopper has had a tree fall on him or cut his foot with his axe,
and is bleeding badly."

"Just what I had in mind," remarked the other, as they started into
the shrubbery.

The groans continued; therefore, the two scouts had no difficulty in
going directly to the spot. In a few minutes Tom clutched his chum's
sleeve and pointed directly ahead.

"Ginger! it looks like Sim Jeffreys," he whispered.

"No other," added Jack.

"But what's the matter with the fellow?" continued Tom. "See how he
keeps tugging away at his right leg. I bet you he's gone and got it
caught in a root, and can't work it free. I've been through just such
an experience."

"We'll soon find out," remarked Jack, pushing forward.

"Be mighty careful, Jack," urged the other, not yet wholly convinced
that the groans were really genuine, for he knew how tricky Sim
Jeffreys had always been.

By this time the other had become aware of their presence. He turned
an agonized face toward them, upon which broke a gleam of wild hope.
If Sim Jeffreys were playing a part then, Jack thought, he must be a
clever actor.

"Oh, say! ain't I glad to see you boys," he called, holding both his
hands out toward them. "Come, help me get free from this pesky old
trap here!"

"Trap!" echoed Tom. "Just what do you mean by that, Sim?"

"I ain't tryin' to fool you, boys. Sure I ain't!" exclaimed the other,
anxiously. "Seems to me like an old bear trap, though I never saw one
before. I was out with my gun, lookin' for partridges, when all of a
sudden it jumped up and grabbed me right by the leg."

Neither of the boys could believe this strange story until they had
taken a look. Then they saw that it was just as Sim had declared. The
trap was old and very rusty. Jack saw that it had lost much of its
former fier