teddy and his chums helped mr. crispen set the deer trap in mrs. traddle’s garden. the candy-store keeper watched them for a while, but whenever the bell on her store door jingled, she hurried inside to wait on a customer. each time the door was opened a bell rang. sometimes mrs. traddle heard it and sometimes she didn’t.
but at last, growing tired of running in and out, mrs. traddle remained in the store and left the boys and the cobbler to their work. it was getting dark now.
“there!” exclaimed mr. crispen as he set the bait and adjusted the catch of the sliding door. “the trap is all ready. what we need now is for the deer to come along and be caught.”
128 “are you sure the trap will work?” asked teddy.
“oh, sure!” said the cobbler. “just you try it.”
“go on, teddy, get in!” advised dick with a laugh.
“and get caught!” cried teddy. “i should say not!”
“but we’re here to let you out,” said joe.
under that promise teddy consented to enter the box trap to see if it would work.
“but no fooling!” he told his chums. “if i get caught in there you’ve got to let me out.”
“i’ll see to that,” promised mr. crispen. “it will be a good way to test the trap. now, teddy, here is what you do. the trap is big enough for you to go in if you stoop a little. from what you told me, the deer isn’t quite as tall as you boys, even counting his horns.”
“no, he’s about our size,” dick said.
“a deer can bend his head backward and sort of lay his horns along his back,” explained129 the cobbler. “that’s what they do when they run through the woods so their horns won’t get caught. so i think i have made the trap plenty high enough for the deer.
“when you go in, teddy, just pretend you are a deer and take hold of the bait with your hand. the bait is tied to the trigger that will slip the catch and let the door fall back of you. you will be a captive for a little while. but we’ll soon let you out.
“then, if we find the trap works all right, and i’m sure it will, i’ll set it again and we’ll go away. in the morning we shall have another captive, i’m sure.”
“you mean the deer?” asked joe.
“i mean the deer,” said the cobbler.
when all was ready, and the bundle of carrots, cabbage, lettuce and salt tied to the trigger, teddy stooped and walked into the trap. it was just about large enough for him.
“all ready fellows!” he called in a muffled voice. “here she goes!”
130 a moment later, with a thud, the door dropped down back of the boy and he was caught in the trap.
“it worked!” cried joe.
“swell!” exclaimed dick.
“i knew it would,” chuckled the cobbler. he walked all around the trap to make sure it was tight. the moon was beginning to rise now and the party of deer-trappers could see quite well.
“i say!” called teddy. “when are you going to let me out of here?”
“oh, that’s so,” said joe, pretending to have forgotten his chum. “teddy is in the trap, isn’t he?”
“i was wondering what had become of him,” dick remarked with pretended innocence.
“open that door!” cried teddy.
a man passing in the road, which was not far from where the trap was being set in mrs. traddle’s garden, suddenly stopped and called:
131 “what’s going on there?”
at the same time teddy called again in loud tones:
“let me out! let me out of this trap!”
“oh, so you’re putting boys in traps, are you!” cried the man in angry tones. “i’ll stop that!” he leaped over the fence. joe, dick and mr. crispen saw it was policeman robbin.
“what’s going on here?” demanded the officer, his ruddy face darkened by anger.
“we’re just setting a deer trap, and teddy went in to test it,” explained joe as dick and mr. crispen raised the door.
“oh,” said the policeman, with a little laugh. “excuse me. but i thought somebody was trying to catch a boy in a trap.”
“well,” laughed teddy, “i was caught all right. but the trap sure works. that door fell shut as soon as i touched the bait.”
“i hope it happens that way when the deer goes in,” said joe.
“it will,” declared mr. crispen.
132 it did not take long to re-set the trap. policeman robbin watched for a while and then, jumping back over the fence, went on duty again.
“well, we can leave now,” said the cobbler as he gave a last look all around the trap. “in the morning when you boys come here, you will find another sort of captive than teddy in the trap.”
“hadn’t you better come here with us?” suggested teddy. “if we catch the deer, you will know better how to handle him than we will.”
“yes, i’m an old hand with deer,” said mr. crispen. “i used to trap them out west. i had two or three for pets until they grew so big they were troublesome. yes, i’ll come here with you. stop at my house when you come to look in the trap. i’ll join you.”
mr. crispen’s house was next door to his shop.
“we’ll be here early,” warned dick.
133 “yes, i expect you’ll want to see the deer in the trap. well, you can’t come any too early for me. i never sleep late. just ring my bell and i’ll be with you.”
leaving the trap in mrs. traddle’s garden, the boys and the cobbler started for their homes. in front of the candy store teddy said:
“i feel sort of thirsty, fellows, after being caught in the trap. i’ll treat to soda if you want some.”
“why not?” asked dick.
“you can’t scare me off!” laughed joe.
mr. crispen had hurried off down the street, not staying for the soda treat. but the three boys went inside and mrs. traddle came out to wait on them.
“lemon soda,” ordered joe.
“sarsaparilla,” was dick’s choice.
“i think i’ll have a root beer,” said teddy.
“what’s that?” cried the deaf old lady.134 “you are going to give a cheer? mercy me! oh, i know. it’s because you have caught the deer. well, go on and cheer, if you like. i guess i can stand it if you don’t cheer too loud.”
“no, no,” said teddy laughing. “i said i wanted a root beer soda.”
“oh, root beer. why didn’t you say so at first?” grumbled mrs. traddle.
after drinking their sodas the boys went home. they were up early next morning, meeting at teddy’s house. they hurried to the home of the shoemaker where mr. crispen soon joined them.
“i wonder if we’ve caught the deer,” mused teddy as they went on to the trap in mrs. traddle’s garden.
“you will find the deer in my trap,” said the cobbler confidently.
they soon were in sight of it. and one look was enough to tell them some captive was inside the trap. for there was a sound135 of banging horns, trampling feet and dull thuds. the trap was swaying from side to side.
“we’ve caught the deer!” cried teddy leaping over the fence.
