y 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, search