Paul on his part had told Tolly Tip he would like to accompany him on his round of the traps on that particular morning.
“Of course, I’ve got an object in view when I say that,” he explained. “It is to take a look at the beaver house you’ve been telling me about. I want to take my camera along, and snap off a few views of it. That will be better than nothing when we tell the story.”
“Count me in on that trip, Paul,” said Spider Sexton. “I always did want to see a regular beaver colony, and learn how they make the dam where their houses are built. I hope you don’t object to my joining you?”
“Not a bit. Only too glad to have you for company, Spider,” answered the scout-master. “Only both of us are under Tolly Tip’s orders, you understand. He has his rules when visiting the traps, which we mustn’t break, as that might ruin his chances of taking more pelts.”
“How can that be, Paul?” demanded the other.
“Oh! you’ll understand better as you go along,” called out Bluff, who was close by and heard this talk. “Sandy Griggs and I learned a heap yesterday while helping him gather his harvest of skins. And for one, I’ll never forget what he explained to me, it was all so interesting.”
“The main thing is this,” Paul went on to say, 143 in order to relieve Spider’s intense curiosity to some extent. “You must know all these wild animals are gifted with a marvelous sense of smell, and can readily detect the fact that a human being has been near their haunts.”
“Why, I never thought about that before, Paul,” admitted Spider; “but I can see how it must be so. I’ve hunted with a good setter, and know what a dog’s scent is.”
“Well, a mink or an otter or a fox is gifted even more than the best dog you ever saw,” Paul continued, “and on that account it’s always up to the trapper to conceal the fact that a human being has been around, because these animals seem to know by instinct that man is their mortal enemy.”
“How does he do it then?” asked Spider.