Obed hastened to join them.  His questioning look influenced Max to explain without hesitation; and the woods boy smiled broadly when he heard how his new-found friends were already taking so decided an interest in his fortunes.

“Now, it might be,” he started to say, again looking serious, “that all this fuss ain’t worth the candle, and that nothin’ ’s going to happen; but I believe in shuttin’ the door before the hoss is stolen; it’s too late afterwards.  I haven’t got the time right now to tell yuh jest how I learned that my foxes was agoin’ tuh be in danger; somebody I knew wrote me a letter, and warned me, which’ll have tuh be enuff jest now tuh explain.  Since I got that same, three days back, I’ve been figgerin’ on how I could fix up a trap tuh ketch any two-legged varmint that chanced tuh come sneakin’ around here of a night.  Well, I got one er two tricks rigged up that might fill the bill.”

“Of course you mean to show them to us, Obed?” Steve burst out with; “for if you didn’t, and we were left in charge here, one of us might fall into the pit, and get knocked out, which would be tough luck, I’m thinking.”

“Oh!  I meant to show you, Steve,” asserted the fur farmer, quickly.  “And if so be yuh’ll come along with me right now, we’ll take a look at the contraptions, which, of course, yuh understand, are only meant for night-times, and tuh help out when Jerry wouldn’t be around for me to sorter lean on.”

Being boys who did things themselves, it was only natural that the four chums should feel a decided interest in what Obed had just said.  Even Max showed an eagerness to go forth and examine the said traps.  He could speculate as to what their character might turn out to be, but this only added a little more spice to the occasion.

So when Obed turned and started off, with a beckoning finger that enticed them to follow his lead, none of the quartette held back.

CHAPTER X

TRAPS FOB NIGHT PROWLERS

“Yuh see,” remarked Obed, turning around as they drew near the first enclosure, where the parent foxes were confined behind the wire fencing, “I’ve just been adding a few finishing touches tuh this here trap scheme.  I got a little idea while I was alookin’ the ground over, and reckoned I could fix it up so there’d be a heap right good chance that a feller creeping around here o’ a night would step into the contraption.  I’ll show yuh how I ’ranged it.”

With that he led the way along a plain trail that seemed to be the easiest route up to the enclosure.  Three times out of four a stranger, prowling around with meagre light to guide him, would be apt to follow that beaten track; and this was evidently what the shrewd Obed was counting on.

“Well, it’s this way my little scheme is agoin’ to work,” he explained, after reaching a certain point.  “See this rope—­I throw it across a limb o’ this tree.  Yuh notice that it’s got an easy runnin’ slip-noose at the end, don’t yuh?  That I’m fixing right here, where there’s a good chance the thief will put his foot in it as he takes this step I’m showing you.”