Show MUSKRATS AND THEIR WAYS A trapper who has caught them tells how they alvo and eat trapper hill moore probably knows more about muskrats llian any man in new jersey he was ed by in Ilan cocas creek between Lumber loi i anil llames port in the comity of lie dripped aur fur and ciui and sometimes for meat he wis iu ann lie trapped for meat other night lie something of the habits of the rats to u the is a peculiar sort of an animal baij moore he lias a homo anil takes gool care of it is soon as his children arc big enough they have to shift for all ire there boic industrious anil with the exception of a single failing good citizens hou are built a the creeks nud at n distance look like ant lulls iset alien you get to liouta jon will sec eliat they have that chril roofs upon n base of igind nal eayrs like an acorn cut in liala there are a good inana outside doors to dwellings and all of are under water you can we the little paths leading from their doors out into alie deeper water of the creek you can sec the friits too if they happen to bo at leouie just send a boy up on the haul ind tell liidi to julip up and down on alie top of alie hut while watch two or three of the cintha at once you tan do it easy enough silting in a boat alien alm suit is shining as the paths a few feet a pirt widening out ai they get nearer aliu middle of alie brook liecty soon after the boy begins to jump you will the ruts scampering down alie paths for dear difo talk about alie beauty of 1 duck upon the water continued the trapper trapp rr all non sene A piu is the most graceful thing that except possibly hie otter and you hardly ever heu an otter in these parts I 1 you where then aru a number of rats take u boat and a friend some and go alio of au old where there is of water with conj lily pads along alie sit quietly an leour if necessary keeping a lookout nil tho diun tiun you will hi rewarded by seeing approaching you aliu p of a triangle out to the base iu 1000 little ca even one lighted 1 by a silvery moonbeam A moment i later yon will set lie point of another triangle alie one nearest you duplicating tho beautiful picture dont move the point of tho first triangle ii a dozen tact of your boat now and the other only a little farther away I 1 the advance guard sees unusual and stops tho guard cornea up lays alongside alie birst rat like a boat at its mooring situa liou h new and it arouses the suspicion one of the muskrats mus krata advances a little annl lie oilier draws into position again bo th lazily upon alie water until istir they anve f tco to faco and alien toward you once or twice the surface a circle of ripples like anat caused by throwing a pebble in the water absolute silence prevails until you make alie slightest motion or movement then they skip nothing under anter as grace f ally i as a muskrat muk krat A moment after the rats dive the water is as smooth as if it haj never been agitated by two very cunning and very espelt cuts you will often sue nt the watce base of nn alil stump along a creel a quantity of shells their pink and white interiors tell diat lie lias been there post yourself in a convenient place sonic warm eglit when alio harvest moon is at the full lccy quiet and watch the stump when you see n black object running lightly to tho top breathe as quietly ai you can you have not heard him anil if you hail not seen him would not know lie was there but if you move or foot ho will scurry donn the stump and into the water before you can short bi oatta bow watch a til gnp an instant to make sure that ho will not bo lio opens a shell only alie dirting pir ting of the bingo of the shell destroys alie silence and there enough noise m that to frighten the biot timid bird tho rat whips out the so neatly that there is not a shred of the flesh left in tha shell isalt vay down the stump he runs jiust far enough to the water dips the flesh iu it two or three times it briefly aud then cats it ivein lor arn srn |