as though starting to fly. I happened to be near the end of the loft and one arm went around a king-post. The instant I felt the post I knew I was going the wrong way, and I held on for dear life. I was dang- ling there like a rabbit in the snare. I soon got hold with both hands and climbed onto the loft. Had I jumped clear so as not to touch the post I would have been killed'or badly injured. I was more care- ful after that when I went out in the dark. Dangers lurk in so many places we should always be careful, both of ourselves and others. It is only in desperate c0nditions we are justified in taking a “Leap in the

dark.” Trapping a Savage Dog

My brother Johnny and I got ourselves into a dangerous situa- tion one day, trapping a large savage dog. This dog belonged to one of our neighbours. He came about our place and was a terror to the women and children. Johnny and I determined to trap him; we did not take into account the risks; boys seldom do. The outcome was that we got trapped with the dog. We observed that the dog would go into the barn when he came about. We tied a rope to the latch of the barn door, and put it around a post, so that when we pulled at the other end of the rope the door would shut; we then opened the door and climbed up on the loft, carrying the end of the rope with us. This was in the old log barn and the loft was low. We were not long in our hiding place when we saw the dog coming in; we pulled the rope and our invention worked to our satisfaction; the door shut with a bang. The dog saw he was trapped, and went wild. He saw us on the hay loft and made a dash for us, but he could not quite reach the loft; in some of his mad rushes he went very near gaining the top. We now began to realize our danger; we became alarmed, but we could not open the door; our machine worked. only one way. There we were shut in with the infuriated dog, that in one of his mad bounds might reach the loft. If he could have got at us we would like- ly have got a severe biting. We did not dare go down, and there was no way out but by the door. Fortunately some one heard the racket in the barn, and came to see what it was about. Soon as the door was pushed open the dog darted out and struck for his home at a furious pace. We were glad to get released from the trap into which we got

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