Chapter 5 Summary

George Burton arrives at the Macdonald homestead an hour before dark, just as the family is sitting down to dinner. They have no choice but to invite the trapper to eat with them, although both William and Esther resent it. While Esther finishers cooking dinner, everyone else goes outside to admire the badger Burton has trapped. Only Ben is silent. Burton recounts the story of Lobo's fight with another badger to the rapt MacDonalds. The badger fought back with teeth and claws, and Lobo would have been killed if Burton hadn't stepped in and clubbed the badger.

When everyone else goes in to dinner, Ben remains outside. Despite his mother's pleas, he won't leave the badger. He lifts the animal off Burton's saddle and turns it over carefully. Ben checks the right ear carefully, but doesn't see a notch. This is not the...