If you care to step this way with me I'll show you something which perhaps neither of you have ever seen before, and is worth remembering." They were only too willing, for already what Owen had said was arousing much curiosity within their minds, and they could not bear to let a chance to have this gratified pass by without taking advantage of the same.
He jumped down into the gully through which the little creek ran, coming from the hills far away, and winding in and out through the timber, often being fairly choked with brush, so that an expert would find it difficult to make headway.
Still, down near its mouth it was more open, and they could wander along for quite some distance without great effort.
The banks were sloping in places, and rather inclined to be precipitous in others, but at no place more than half a dozen feet in height.
After going up for some little distance Owen stopped.
"Here is where our little friend lost his foot and there is the trap that helped to take it off," he said, pointing to a rusty Newhouse No.

2 that was lying in full view, chain and all, by the edge of the water.
Stooping over Cuthbert saw that the jaws were marked with a stain, and bits of fur, proving the truth of Owen's assertion.
"Sure as you live it did, and there was no surgeon's fee for that amputation, either.

Now go on and tell us why this happened, and what is to prevent it being the rule, rather than the exception," he said eagerly.
"First of all, I must explain how mink are located, and something of their habits, or you will not understand.

They are nearly always found along the banks of a small stream that empties into a larger, just as in this case.
"The female mink have settled places of abode, while the male are rovers, and roam up and down the creek for a distance of about two miles in either direction.

Now, when a trapper has made up Ms mind that a certain stream is the home of a considerable number of mink he comes out in the early fall, some time before the regular trapping months open, and gets things ready for his season.
"Along the edge of the little bluff near the water line he digs holes about three feet back into the bank and some nine inches across the front, throwing water about the place to kill the scent of his presence, and a little driftwood in and around the hole, so that it will seem natural to the suspicious animal.
"These holes are made about a hundred feet apart, and are then left for a couple of weeks, and when you go back to set your traps you will be surprised to discover that almost every hole shows marks of mink having gone in and out, searching for mates.
"When they set the traps it is the regular thing to fasten the end of the chain out just so far in the water, where it is deep enough to drown the mink; once the trap snaps upon the leg of the animal its instinct causes it to spring into the creek, and being weighed down by the trap, it is soon drowned; this saves needless suffering, does not injure the fur, and prevents the mink gnawing off its own foot in the mad desire to escape." "Say, that's mighty interesting, now," declared Eli, bending down to examine the trap again; "I didn't know there was so much to the pesky business--had an idea all you had to do was to find where the animals held out, stick a trap there, and go out the next day and grab your fur." Owen laughed heartily at this.
"I'm afraid such a trapper would not get enough mink, otter, fox, or even muskrat skins to buy his tobacco in a season.