doin' that. Seems to me the b-b-best way would be to
dig a trench, and then shoo the old p-p-porker out."

"That's what we'll do," Max announced. "It would seem that the monkey is
too smart to step into a trap built like this, so we wouldn't have any
further need of the pit. Let's get some clothes on first, so we won't
take cold, and then everybody dig."

It was a duty they could not shirk, and before long they had managed to
knock away part of the wall of the pit, so that an ordinary hog might
manage to scramble up the incline from the depths.

Then they all gathered on the other side, and "shooed," and waved their
arms as well as the lantern. The prisoner of the pit, alarmed no doubt
for his safety, and seeing an opening for escape, started to climb, with
such success that presently he reached level ground, gave a satisfied
grunt, and then trotted off into the neighboring woods.

The four boys were laughing among themselves as they once more went back
to the warmth of their blankets.

"Another dream shattered," said Steve, "and count me out after this when
it comes to hatching up dark schemes against that poor ape. Some of the
rest of you can try your hands if you want; but ten to one we'll have to
get down to hard gravel in the end, and use that wild-animal-catcher
stunt with the doped stuff. To tell you the truth I'm sort of hoping we
will, because I'd like to see how it works."

"M-m-me too, Steve!" exclaimed Toby; "and I only h-h-hope Max say's the
word after we've tried a few more games, and find they don't w-w-work
any."

"I'll fix the limit for another night," said Max, "and then if we haven't
been successful in trapping the monkey I'll agree to try Mr. Jenks'
plan."

With that all of the others declared they would rest content, though it
seemed as though Bandy-legs, as well as Steve and Toby, was willing to
proceed to extremes as soon as possible, only Max objecting to the plan
as hardly fair to the monkey.

Another day passed, and they amused themselves in various ways, taking
pictures, fishing for pickerel in the big pond with fair success, and
making arrangements for trying out another idea that night, in hopes of
capturing the smart monkey.

This consisted of a trap fashioned somewhat on the order of the turkey
cage mentioned by Toby. It was built of stout canes, carried all the way
from the pond, and with the corner joints spliced with cord. Then a
descending roadway was carefully dug out, and