Mink it is, and the little animal just gnawed it off himself, last night, for you can see it is quite fresh." "Gnawed it off himself, did you say?
What in the world would he be fool enough to do that for ?" demanded Cuthbert looking closely to see whether the other gave any signs of joking, but failing to find any.
"Well, for one thing, he could not find anybody to do it for him." "Oh! and was it so very important that Mr.Mink should drop one of his little footsie-tootsies in that way?
Is it the habit up here for these animals to go around cm three legs ?" "No; but you see he was silly enough to believe that it was better to go along the balance of his natural life with three feet rather than to give up his nice soft pelt to grace the back of some lady in Montreal or New York or London," returned Owen, gravely, twirling the little reminder around between his fingers, and looking at it as though he believed it could tell a sad story if only it were gifted with the power of speech.
"Now I see the reason.

The mink had been caught in a trap, and after twisting and turning until it had torn its leg fearfully, as is seen right there, in desperation it finished the amputation itself; not that it was afraid of decorating some high born dame's back, but because it was threatened with starvation if it sat there in the trap indefinitely.
How's that, brother ?" he declared.
"About as near the facts as any one could come, for that is just what happened to our poor little friend here.

He'll have to hobble around on three legs for the balance of his natural life; but that's better than knocking under now.

And, of course, some trapper, an Indian, probably, is out a valuable skin through his carelessness." "But how does it come that more of the little beasts, all of them, in fact, don't do the same thing?
I should think it would be necessary to guard against it," remarked the Virginian.
"That is just it.

I said this trapper was out a skin through sheer carelessness, for it is a slovenly way of trapping to let a nice mink like that get away.