ting their smartness against that of a suspicious and clever animal;
and if they won out why it would be reckoned not only a glorious triumph
but at the same time put a nice little sum of good money in their
pockets.

He announced this policy as they were finishing their supper, and the
others had to smile to see the look of ecstatic joy that spread all over
Toby's face.

"Oh! that's just fine of you boys to stand by me like that!" he burst
out with, and not tripping even once, strange to say. "I'll never forget
it, give you my word I won't. And some time I'll find a chance to pay
you back, see if I don't."

"Hear! hear!" cried Steve.

"Bravo!" exclaimed Max.

"Good stuff, Toby," remarked Bandy-legs, "and he never fell all over
himself once, you notice, fellers."

"Of course," Max continued, "we don't know whether we'll have another
chance to see Link. He may have kicked the dust of these parts off his
feet, and started out to find easier picking among the farmers' houses,
where he could sneak in and loot the kitchens while the missus was out
gathering eggs, or hanging up the wash. But if we can coax him to stay
around our camp we'll keep on hoping to get him in the end."

"But, Max," ventured Steve, "if all our smart traps go begging, and he
gives us the merry ha! ha! every time, wouldn't you try that
monkey-catcher trick the circus man told us about?"

"I've been thinking it over," said Max, "and while I'd much prefer to
take Link by some fairer scheme, if he is too sharp for us, why I reckon
we'll have to turn to that way. If he isn't captured he could live by
stealing through the summer, but when the cold weather came the poor
beast would freeze to death, because he's a native of a hot climate, you
know."

"G-g-good for you, Max!" exclaimed Toby, beaming with joy; "oh! I know
now we'll g-g-get Link in the end. And to coax him to hang out around
here r-r-right along I've g-g-gone and b-b-baited the place."

"How?" questioned Bandy-legs.

"I h-h-hunted up some likely p-p-places where I just thought he'd be apt
to come and I p-p-put a few kernels of nuts in the crotch, each one
closer to the camp. You k-k-know that's the way they ketch wild
t-t-turkeys, make a t-t-trap of lathes, and have a road leading into the
same, comin' up in the m-m-middle, covered over just inside. Then they
strew corn all along and up onto the t-t-trap. Mister T-t-turk he starts
pickin' up the g-g-grains, and is so busy that he f-