THE next morning the boys were up before the sun, and after a hearty¹ breakfast, set out to spend the day in the woods; Frank and Harry², bending their steps toward the creek³ that ran through the woods, about a mile from the cabin, to set their traps for minks⁵, while Archie and George started toward a ridge⁶—the well-known “fox run-way” as it was called—to engage in their favorite sport. The trapper and Uncle Joe set off in an opposite direction, to cut down a bee-tree, which the latter had discovered a few days before.  
When Frank and Harry arrived at the creek, the latter said:
 
“Now I want to understand something about this business, before we commence operations We’re after minks, and nothing else; and I don’t want you to endanger a fellow’s life by getting him into any more wolf scrapes, or any thing of that kind.”
 
“All right,” answered Frank, with a laugh. “I’ll not get you into any scrape to-day.”
 
This satisfied Harry, and he was ready to begin the hunt. They found plenty of mink⁴ tracks on the bank of the creek. After eating their dinner, they commenced following up some of them, and, before night, succeeded, with Brave’s assistance, in capturing two large minks, after which they returned to the cabin, well satisfied with their day’s work.
 
They found Uncle Joe and his brother seated at the supper-table, and a large plate full of honey, which was rapidly disappearing before their attacks, proved that they also had been successful. Archie and George came in shortly after dark, tired and hungry. A fox-skin, which the former threw down in the corner, bore testimony⁷ to the fact that Sport was losing none of those hunting qualities of which his young master so often boasted. The day’s hunt had been successful on all hands; and the boys being pretty well tired out, the trapper’s stories were omitted, and all the inmates⁸ of the cabin sought their couches at an early hour.
 
The next morning the boys were “fresh and fierce” for the woods again, and once more started out in their respective directions, leaving Uncle Joe and the trapper seated before the fire, solacing⁹ themselves with their pipes. Frank and Harry, as usual, went together; the latter, as on the previous morning, exacting¹⁰ a promise that Frank would not get him into any “scrapes,” to which the latter, as before, readily agreed, little dreaming what was to happen before night.
 
A few moments’ walk brought them to the place at which they had set their first trap, in a hollow stump¹¹, where they had noticed a multitude of “mink signs,” as the trapper would have called them, and as Harry bent¹² down and looked into the stump, Frank exclaimed:
 
“Look at these tracks; somebody besides ourselves has been here.”
 
“Yes, some other hunters, I suppose,” answered Harry, peering into the stump. “I hope they were gentlemen enough not to interfere¹³ with our arrangements here. But where’s that trap gone to?”
 
 
“These tracks were not made by white persons,” said Frank, bending over and examining them, “for the hunters in this part of the country all wear boots. These fellows wore moccasins, and the tracks all toe in.”
 
“Indians, as sure as I’m alive!” ejaculated Harry; “and, shoot me, if our trap isn’t gone.” And thrusting his arm into the stump, he commenced feeling around for the article in question, but it could not be found.
 
“Yes, sir,” he continued, rising to his feet, “it is gone, and no mistake. Feel in there.”
 
Frank accordingly got down on his knees and made an examination of the stump; but the trap, beyond a doubt, had been carried off.
 
“Now, that is provoking!” he exclaimed.
 
“There was a mink in the trap, too,” continued Harry, pointing to some bits of fur that lay scattered¹⁴ about over the snow. “I wish the rascals¹⁵ that took it had it crammed¹⁶ down their throats.”
 
“It does no good to scold, Harry,” said Frank, “for that won’t mend the matter. But let us go around and visit the other traps; perhaps they have carried off all of them.”
 
The boys accordingly went around to every place where they had left their traps, but not one of them could be found.
 
“Now, there’s thirteen dollars gone to the dogs,” said Harry, angrily; “for every one of those traps was worth a dollar, at least. I wish Dick was here. We would follow up the scoundrels and recover our property. What shall we do?”
 
“Let’s follow them up, any how,” replied Frank. “Perhaps we can catch them—the trail seems plain enough. How many of them do you suppose there were?”
 
“There were two Indians and as many dogs,” answered Harry. “Here’s a track made by a fellow that must have had a foot as big as all out-doors; and here’s another, of very respectable size.”
 
The boys commenced measuring the tracks, and found, as Harry had said, that there were but two different sizes. As soon as this had been determined¹⁷, Frank exclaimed:
 
“Well, we mustn’t waste any more time. Let’s start after the rascals; and if we catch them, we’ll make them give up those traps or fight.”
 
Harry shrugged¹⁸ his shoulders, and answered:
 
 
“If you are going in for a fight, just count me out, will you? One of those Indians must be a strapping¹⁹ big fellow, judging by the size of his feet; and the other, although he may be a smaller man, would probably prove a tough customer. If Dick was here, I wouldn’t mind it. Let us go after him.”
 
“O no,” answered the reckless Frank. “I guess we and our double-barrel shot-guns, with Brave’s assistance, can recover those traps. If we can’t catch the thieves, we’ll make the trail, at any rate.”
 
Harry made no reply, but ran along after Frank, who commenced following up the trail of the Indians, which, as no care had been taken to conceal²⁰ it, was very plain. As on the former occasion, it appeared as if the tracks had been made by one person; but, on closer examination, Frank discovered that the larger savage²¹ had taken the lead, and that his companion had stepped exactly in his tracks. The trail ran directly away from Uncle Joe’s cabin, and then turned abruptly²² and ran parallel with a ridge for the same distance; and here the boys came to a place where there was a confused mingling²³ of tracks, conspicuous²⁴ among which were some made by boots. There were also the tracks of two more dogs, and several drops of blood on the snow.
 
“The thieves have received reinforcements here,” said Harry. “A couple of white hunters, or else two more Indians, with boots on.”
 
“Yes, it looks like it,” answered Frank. “And they must have killed some game, for here’s blood on the snow.”
 
“I guess we’ve gone about far enough,” said Harry. “Four men and four dogs are more than a match for us.”
 
“No matter; I’m going to see the end of it now. You won’t leave me to go on alone!”
 
“O no. If you are bound to go on, I shall stick to you.”
 
Frank immediately set off on the trail, which turned suddenly to the left, and led toward a ravine. After running a short distance, he said:
 
“These last fellows that joined them are not Indians, Harry, because they didn’t step in each other’s tracks.”
 
The trail led directly through the gully, and up the other side; and while the boys were climbing up the bank, they heard the angry barking of dogs, followed by the report of a gun, and a yell that made their blood run cold. Harry immediately drew back, but Frank kept on; and when he reached the top of the bank, he saw a sight that filled him with horror, and which disturbed his sleep for many a night afterward²⁵.
 
But let us now return to Archie and George, whom we left starting out with their hounds.
 
When they reached the bottom, through which the creek ran, they found Sport standing²⁶ over a fox-trail; and, at his master’s command, he at once set off upon it,............