Page:Redcoat (1927).djvu/224

 he cut a dozen or more pine boughs, perhaps three feet long, and stuck these up in the ground around the box trap, until when he had finished it was entirely hidden in the little pine bower. He then littered the bottom of the trap with pine needles, until it was as green as the carpet of the ancient wood. Then he fastened a chicken head to the spindle of the trap, drew up the door by the cord which past through the upright at the end of the trap, and carefully adjusted the trigger at the back side. But, previous to this, with a small brush which he had brought for the purpose, he had generously painted the inside of the trap with the fox charm. The chicken head on the spindle fairly reeked with it. But, strangest of all, at least it would seem strange to Redcoat, Bud had stopped half way up the mountain and smeared the bottom of his shoes with the obnoxious fox charm. When he had finished setting the trap, he uncoiled the inch rope from his waist and smeared it from end to end with the obnoxious fluid. Then, after recoating his shoes with the same vile smel-