Chapter IX: The Midnight Attack

A shrunken arm—Importance of exercise—An 143
exciting discovery—Slaughter of the
fowls—An ungracious crow—Curiosity
excited—Speculations—Depredations of
skunks—Lack of vigilance—A bounty
offered—Burying the dead—Something
about skunks—The trap—The wolf and
deer—Chased by a wolf—The wolf and the
sheep—Bears—A trip to the logging
camp—Uncle Tim’s story—Depredations in
the cornfield—The trap
unsuccessful—Watching for the
beast—His tragic end—Bruin and the
boy—A juvenile hero—A neighborly
visit—Wild-cats—Two kinds—A fight with
a wild-cat—A walk to Mr. Preston’s—His
opinion of the affair—Ella’s
timidity—Quizzing—The nooning—Clinton
not much affected by his loss—How a
man may gain by his losses—Mr.
Davenport’s experience—Our happiness
not dependent on money—Our
stewardship—Clinton’s money not his
own—Debt due his parents—Their legal
claim upon his earnings—Man’s
dependence—Clinton’s pecuniary
loss—His accounts—His profits—Setting
the trap,