d? But that is not a rabbit's
foot, I think, Owen," he said.

"What then?" asked the Canadian.

"I don't know for certain, but if I made a guess I should say mink."

"Good enough for a hap-hazard guess. 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. 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 alread