They started for the next trap, and this time the trail took them through the middle of another large swamp, which recalled unpleasant memories of the boys’ late experience, and they half expected to hear the weird baying of the wild dogs. Many grouse were flushed, and Ed shot at one with the rifle, but missed. But they soon passed through the wild strip of soggy woodland and came out into the sunshine.
On they went through a stretch of open country, which ended at the border of a woodland pond. Bill pointed out many snow-covered muskrat houses, which had given to the small sheet of water the name of Muskrat Pond.
Bill had opened some of the houses and set his traps inside, and he now visited them to ascertain his luck. The boys were much interested in examining the interiors. They found them very similar to the abodes of the beavers. There was the same comfortable grass-lined living-chamber, the same underground tunnels into deep water, and much the same style of architecture and workmanship.
Some odd features of muskrat life were made known to the boys. They found that, when muskrats travel beneath the frozen surface of the pond in winter, they frequently rise and expel their breath against the ice. Then, after this bubble of air has been purified, the muskrat sucks it back into his lungs and proceeds on its journey, until compelled by shortness of breath to do the same thing again.
They were told, also, that muskrats have a very noticeable odor of musk about them, especially in early spring, which may have given them their name, although the Indian name was musquash; and learned that muskrats warn each other of danger by slapping the water with their tails, like the beavers.
A round of the traps yielded eight prime pelts. When Bill had finished with them, the journey was continued. He said he might easily trap many more muskrats than he did, but he had no desire to exterminate them or seriously decrease their numbers. He took as many as he believed he was entitled to each season, and no more.
The next leg of their circuit led them into a dense hemlock forest, where they found the trail of another lynx. Judged from the size of the footprints, this animal was larger than the one whose tracks they had crossed a short time before. The boys noticed that Bill was following the new trail with keen interest.
“I believe that fellow is going to get mixed up with one of our traps,” he prophesied.
“I guess we’ll have some fun, if he does,” said Ed.
“Shouldn’t wonder,” replied Bill, leading off into a group of small evergreens into which the tracks disappeared.