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 He had been hunting along a little stream one morning, in the hopes that he might find a muskrat in one of Bud's traps for he had become so bold that he had twice robbed a trap, once taking a mink. This had made Bud still more determined to catch him. This morning Redcoat had thought he noted Bud's scent at a certain place on the stream. But after careful examination he had concluded that it was a mistake. The trapper had been walking in the stream and the water had carried away nearly all the scent.

A few rods further up the stream Redcoat discovered something that made his mouth fairly water. It was a small bird dangling over the stream. The bird was apparently dead, and it hung head down. These were two facts which should have made Redcoat wary. Anything that was dead was dangerous as food. Things one did not have to work for were not good for one. Then the bird was hanging head down, that also was strange. So Redcoat began investigating very carefully. There was no