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 wild goose chase anyhow, and he did not want his father to laugh at him, as he would surely do if he knew. It was his secret and he intended to keep it well.

Shortly after four o'clock the following morning, Bud started for the mountain carrying the heavy box trap on his shoulder. In his pocket he also had the bottle of fox charm, and fifteen feet of inch rope wound around his waist. He was wearing the most disreputable pair of shoes that he could find on the place, the reason for which will appear later.

Although the trap was made of inch pine board, yet it was rather heavy and Bud often set it down to rest as he climbed the steeper places on the mountain. Finally after half an hour he arrived at the clump of spruces where he knew Redcoat had his headquarters. He had never found the den, in fact he did not much care where it was so long as he set the trap somewhere near it. He finally discovered just the place he wanted. It was a clump of bushes not too thick and he placed the box trap in their midst. Then