Just as Teddy Benson leaped over the fence and landed in Mrs. Traddle’s garden, to run toward the deer trap, the candy-store lady darted out of her back door and headed for the same place.  
Teddy was followed by his chums and Mr. Crispen.
 
Mrs. Traddle was all alone. She was the first to reach the box trap out of which came many strange sounds.
 
There were sounds of tramping, beating feet and banging horns. Also sounds of grunts and heavy breathing.
 
“You’ve caught some sort of animal in your trap!” called Mrs. Traddle to Teddy and the others.
 
“It’s a deer, Mrs. Traddle,” said the old137 cobbler. “I knew when I made that trap it would catch the mystery deer.”
 
“I can’t make out if it’s a deer or not,” said Mrs. Traddle.
 
“Have you been out here before, looking?” asked Joe as they all hurried nearer the trap.
 
“Oh, land sakes, yes,” Mrs. Traddle replied. “I was out here as soon as it was daylight.”
 
“What time was the deer caught?” asked Teddy.
 
“I’m not sure it is a deer,” Mrs. Traddle said. “I can’t get a good look at it through the cracks. You made that trap of yours good and tight, Mr. Crispen.”
 
“I sure did, Mrs. Traddle,” said the cobbler. “When you make a deer trap, make it good and tight, I say. Deer are pesky critters for getting out of a place once they get in.”
 
“But as I said,” went on Mrs. Traddle, “I can’t be sure it is a deer.”
 
138 “Oh, it’s a deer, all right,” said Mr. Crispen.
 
“What time was it caught?” asked Teddy.
 
“Oh, along about midnight, I should say,” replied the candy-store lady. “I heard a noise in my garden then and I looked out. But I couldn’t see anything. I expect what I heard was the sliding door falling shut after the critter in the trap had pulled on the bait. I didn’t come down to look, but I expect that’s what it was.”
 
“That was it,” said the cobbler a bit proudly. “The deer nibbled the bait and the door fell, catching him.”
 
“As I said,” went on Mrs. Traddle who seemed to be hearing very well now, “as I said, I’m not sure it is a deer you’ve caught. I came out here as soon as it was daylight and peeked through the cracks as best I could.”
 
“What did you see?” asked Joe.
 
“I saw a critter with sort of brown and139 white fur and horns,” replied Mrs. Traddle. “Might be a cow for all I know.”
 
“A cow would be too big to get in my trap,” said the cobbler.
 
“Well, yes, maybe so,” admitted Mrs. Traddle. “Anyhow it’s a raging and plunging sort of a critter, whatever it is. Two or three times, when I came out to look before you arrived, I thought it would break out of the trap.”
 
“It can’t get out of the trap!” declared the cobbler. “I made it too strong.”
 
“Well, it’s cutting up something terrible,” went on the old lady. “I’m sure it will get free.”
 
As Teddy, his chums and Mr. Crispen stood near the trap, the animal inside appeared to be making strong efforts to escape. It plunged about and struck the sides and ends of the trap with its horns and feet.
 
“That’s the way it’s been going on since daylight,” explained Mrs. Traddle. “If you140 hadn’t come when you did I was going to telephone you. I was getting sort of scared.”
 
“There is no danger,” said Mr. Crispen. He peered through a crack in the trap at the animal inside. So did the boys. They could not get a very good view. Though there were many cracks in the box trap, none of them was large enough to give a good view. But the boys and the cobbler had glimpses of an animal with brown and white hair and also with horns.
 
“That’s a deer, all right,” asserted the cobbler. “We’ve caught him just as I said we would.”
 
“The next thing,” said Teddy, “is to get him out of this trap and tie him up some place. He seems wild.”
 
“He is wild!” declared Mrs. Traddle. “He’s been wild ever since he was in that trap. I tried to quiet him but I couldn’t.”
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