MORE ABOUT QUIN, THE MINK

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 132, 5 June 1937, Page 20

MORE ABOUT QUIN, THE MINK

(Written for the Ring by "La Taupe," 14, Miramar.)

AS the sun streamed through the top of the log, in which he had spent the night, Quin climbed sleepily out of his cozy bed and ? . splashed noisily into a nearby stream. Feeling very refreshed, he came out, shook himself, and sat downon the grey sand idly twirling his beard and thinking over what he was going to do that day. ■'

"There's good hunting in the woods) nowadays," he said to himself-cock-ing one large yellow eye.in that direction. ' ■•'•■'■''

By now his fur was quite dry so, picking himself up, Quin madeifcirvthe woods which stood nearby, green and inviting. Quin knew this part-,bf the wood well, so he, did not have much difficulty in finding his way Jabout. Prowling about a thicket Quin suddenly came upon a small clearing. Across this ran a low fence about eight inches high; walking along the fence5 Quin spied a hole,'just large enough to squeeze through, it was then- that he noticed the scent of humans. Suspiciously he regarded the hole ■ with his large, saucer-like eyes. ... .. ■ . ;.: .

"It looks as if that gate was put there purposely to save'me.the trouble of walking round the fence," he muttered. "That was kind, of them, but, kindly tell me why they put the fence there in the first place," he said to a passing bird who did not hear him. ■-..

With great care he tiptoed towards that innocent-looking gateway, half expecting to find Holly Hawk waiting behind it. When he had crept to, within six inches of the gate, Quin stopped, and studied the ground, :>At.a spot about two inches from the gate the ground was covered with dead leaves yet, everywhere else there was fresh green grass. ■ ~...-:

Stretching out his long front paw Quin brushed aside one leaf. :Nothing happened. Gaining courage he brushed aside another, and another till a shining steel thing lay oh the grass, its sharp teeth glowing- "wickedly in the sunlight. Quin had found this sort of thing before.

Placing his forepaw beneath'the gleaming trap he jerked it upwards. The trap flew into the air, the steel teeth coming together with a loud bang. As the trap was now useless, Quin decided to tell as' many pedple as he could about his cleverness. "I may. as well take the trap along in ca?e they don't believe me." Pushing the trap in front of him he went through'the gate:-no sooner had he pushed the trap through the hole than there came another bang as another trap closed its jaws over the first one.

Quin did not stay to see if there were any more traps, in fact he never went there again, but made off in leaps and bounds till he reached the warm peace of the thicket again. Occasionally he calls himself Professor Quin and addresses large audiences of forest folk on "the ways and whims of steel traps." . s.