snare the partridge in the woods, and catch with a horse-hair loop the wily old trout that was too wise to bite at a hook.

One day, when the boys were alone in the logcabin which was their home, they heard their dog Snap growling and barking furiously in the snow outside. Both boys sprang to the door and saw that Snap had cornered a wild cat near the chickencoop. The dog, however, knew the nature of wild cats, and did not care to risk too close an encounBut when the cat spied the boys and the gun in Joe's hand, it sprang from the coop and, dashing down a small ravine near the house, disappeared from sight before Joe had a chance to fire at it.

ter.

"I tell you, Joe," said Jack; "that 's the very old chap we've heard caterwauling up in the woods lately. And that's the meaning of so many partridge feathers down in the hollow, too. Let's see if we can catch the prowler."

"All right," said Joe; "I'll get the trap, and you must bring along one of those partridges we snared yesterday, for bait. We can follow the tracks easily enough in this snow."

After shutting Snap in the cabin so that he could not follow them and spoil their sport, the boys started on the trail of the wild cat, Joe carrying the gun, and Jack the trap and partridge. After trudging along for a mile or so through the snow, across the hollow and over fallen logs of birch and hemlock, they came to a mass of overhanging rock, below which was a rocky shelf. On this projection they noticed a break in the rocks, and there the tracks were lost.

with a little dirt, and, having tied the partridge just over it, they turned toward home.

They had scarcely left the spot, however, when they were met by Snap, who had somehow escaped from his prison, and had lost no time in following them.

At the same moment the wailing cry of the wild cat sounded almost in their ears from the direction of the den. The startled boys stood still; but Snap, not pausing even to greet his masters, bounded past them with a sudden deep growl.

"Here, Snap-stop, sir!" called Jack, who knew that if the dog met the wild cat there would be a terrible fight. But Snap was not inclined to stop, and the boys sprang after him. Just at the edge of the overhanging rock, Jack, by throwing himself at full length, managed to seize the eager dog by the collar; while Joe, running by them, dropped on his knees, and brought his gun to his shoulder. There, at the mouth of the cave, stood the wild cat, snarling savagely as it caught sight of the boys, while its short tail stood straight out, and its furry back bristled with rage.

Quick as the flash from the rifle, Joe aimed between the gleaming eyeballs and fired, just as Snap, breaking loose from Jack, followed the bullet, and seized the wild cat by the throat. But Joe's marksmanship had not failed him, and the wild cat was already dead. As soon as Joe had reloaded the gun, the boys jumped after the dog, and found, what they had not noticed in their excitement, that the wild cat was firmly held in the trap by the fore legs. It was doubtless the snapping of the cruel iron jaws that had brought forth the cry from the fierce animal that had so soon fallen a victim to its greed.

When the boys returned to the cabin, bringing the wild cat with them, their father and mother were much surprised and delighted at the pluck of their This was the boys' first exploit of the kind, and they were rather proud that the credit of having slain the wild cat belonged to themselves alone.

sons.

NED goes to the circus with Grandpa, And sits on a nice cushioned seat, Where he beams upon the performers With a smile, confiding and sweet.

But after a while he grows restless, And then he softly observes: "If these are preserve seats, Grandpa, Why don't they pass the preserves?"