Cape Breton's Magazine

There you are. When the fox would come, he was then in the trap. (So there is the ant stuff--that brings the fox. But then there's also the bait. What's the bait?) Oh, I can't tell you! (Why can't you tell me what the formula is?) Well, I'll tell you. It was in my fam? ily, my grandfather told my father the bait, you know. And it was supposed to be kept in the family. And my father told me the bait, and how to go round things. (And did you use it?) I didn't myself, but my father and I did. (Did you pass it on to your son?) I told Murdock about it. (Does he ever use it?) No, because Murdock was busy in other things. And he wasn't what you call a trapper or a farmer. (So it hasn't been used for awhile.) No. I'll tell you the reason my father told me to: don't give this secret away to anyone. He figured maybe that I could start on the foxes myself. That was the reason. But I was so busy, you know, working. (So you don't think it's magic, that if you told it to somebody else, it would spoil it?) Oh no, no. But then somebody else would pick that up and we wouldn't get any. And another thing about fox, you know. My father said, "You can't tie the trap." I said, "How is that now? The fox will go with the trap, and you won't see trap or anything." "Oh, no," he said, "no. If you tie the trap, he'll bite his foot. But it's easy enough to make out--you'd see the mark. Even on the ground. And he never goes uphill. He goes downhill." (So your father caught a lot of fox.) Oh, yes, certainly. When my father used to trap foxes, he could bait them away out from here--make a hole out there. And they'd eat the bait. And then he could bring them further in. (First, he'd make one of these holes away out in the woods?) Right. (And then he'd make a hole closer to home?) Right. (And the fox would come to the new hole.) That's right. And they could see if the fox came around without walking way out there. (And your grandfather caught a lot of fox.) Oh, yes. And I heard my father talk about that they caught silver fox, too. And that was worth a lot of money those years. (So it was worth the $20.) Oh ho, ho, I guess so. (And the trip to Halifax.) And I'll bet you $5 that they must have walked halfways to Halifax. There were no cars then, no planes. Somebody had to hoof her. (But the other fellow, he had no success.) No, he never had luck. Well, I've got to tell you a little story about Duncan MacLean. When I was going to Gas Tank Replacements & Repairs For Personal Efficient Service: Call: 539-2122 Sydney Radiator 120 Years a Family Business 2 Years Warranty on All Parts * We Accept VISA New Heaters & Radiators or Repairs Or Come See Us at 121 Prince Street, Sydney Next to Ron May Pontiac We Service and Ship Anywhere on Cape Breton Island e farmers Co-operative Dairy Limited A Complete Line of Dairy & Juice Products ?? Milk ?? Ice Cream ?? Yogourt ?? Long Life ?? Cheese Products Farmers Co-operative Dairy Limited Sydport, Sydney 562-2434 Owned by Nova Scotian Farmers Morrison's Stores "''' ('''Home Hardware General Merchants Celebrating over 100 Years of Service ST. PETERS RICHMOND COUNTY, NOVA SCOTIA BOE 3B0 CanadS • Beautiful, Intelligent and Peaceful ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK No Admission Charge 9 am. - 5 p.m. Year Round 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. July 1 to Sept. 30 Baddeck N.S. Open 7 Days a Week 75 km. west of Sydney on Route 105 BELL THE MAN * BELL THE EXPERIMENTER * HYDROFOIL HALL Children Can Build & Fly a Bell Kite Special Evening Presentations Inquire 295-2069 for Times GUIDE SERViCE AVAILABLE