A little doubtful of what Mrs. Traddle might say, the three boys went to the candy store. As a sort of opening wedge, Teddy bought some chocolate creams, ordering them in such a loud voice that the deaf old lady did not confuse them with popcorn balls. Then Teddy, thinking she was in good humor, said: “We want to set a deer trap in your garden, may we?” “What’s that? You lost a hat in my garden? Why of course you may go in and get it, boys. But I don’t see how you could lose a hat. The wind isn’t blowing much.” “Not a HAT--a TRAP!” said Teddy loudly. “A mouse trap?” asked Mrs. Traddle doubtfully. “No, a DEER TRAP!” Joe said, trying his luck. He finally managed to make Mrs. Traddle understand. And when she was promised some of the possible reward money to pay for the damage the deer had done to her garden, she gave permission. Not only that, but she supplied the vegetables for the bait. The boys went back to the cobbler’s shop. The trap was almost finished. “Good work!” complimented Mr. Crispen when Teddy and his chums told of their success and gave him the vegetables. “I have some salt of my own,” the cobbler said. “Deer are very fond of salt.” The boys, having obtained permission from their parents to go with the cobbler to set the trap after dark, found Mr. Crispen waiting for them at his shop. He had the trap on a small cart he used to haul his rolls of leather from the railroad express office. “It won’t be long now before we have that deer,” said Mr. Crispen. “Come along, boys!” Teddy and his chums helped push the cart through the streets to the rear of Mrs. Traddle’s garden. It was dusk. But if the strange little procession was observed, doubtless it was thought to be some boys moving a dog house. That’s what the trap looked like. “Now show me,” said Mr. Crispen when the garden was reached, “just where the deer got in that time and ate the corn.” The boys indicated the place. It could still be seen in the light of the moon, for that part of Mrs. Traddle’s garden still bore the marks made by the trampling deer. “Now we’ll place and set the trap,” said the cobbler. “Then we’ll get out of here. The deer won’t come if we stay around very long.” “Do you think the deer will come?” asked Teddy. “Oh, sure he will!” replied Mr. Crispen. CHAPTER XIV A CAPTIVE 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.”