He carefully set his trap under a few inches of water, so that the first rat coming forth and starting to climb the bank would set his hind feet in it.
The chain he fastened to a stake out in the creek.
This was done in order that the little rodent would be quickly drowned.
Trappers invariably follow this rule when after water animals, and it is not always through a spirit of mercy toward the victim that actuates their motive, but the fact that they would otherwise lose many a catch, since the captive in despair over its inability to escape would gnaw its foot off.
Having finished with the trap, Darry walked further into the marsh. It was a lonely place, seldom visited save by a few hunters in the season, who looked for mallard ducks there; or it might be some boy trapper, endeavoring to make a few dollars by catching some of the shy denizens wearing marketable fur coats.
Here a brace of snipe went spinning away, and a little further a blue crane got up and flapped off, his long legs sticking out like fishing poles.
In an hour or so the boy had placed all his traps. He had followed Joe's directions to the letter, and the morning would show as to whether he was to make a success of the venture.
One thing was positive, and it was this, that even should he find nothing in the traps he did not mean to give up; if he had made a mistake, then it must be rectified, even if he had to secure some old boat in order to carry out his operations without leaving a scent behind to alarm the game.
It was late in the afternoon when he reached home.
The twins ran to meet him as though already they looked upon him in the light of a member of the little family.