Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-19
TRAPPING THE WISE OLD
KING OF THE ISLAND

Whether the other boys knew him
by that name l do not know, but dur
ing the time that my friend Don and
l trapped for him we came to know
him as the Last Island Mink
This mink had his abode on jackson
island, which is reality was not an
island at all, but a stretch of wood
land some thirty acres in extent, The
greater portion of the island was over
grown with a tangIe of dewberry
briars. ironweed and laurel. 1t was
surrounded on three sides by shallow
ponds and sloughs teeming with craw-
fish to which ducks and other water
fowl resorted in countless numbers.
1t was an ideal habtation for mink.
Their tracks were to be seen all
around the muddy ponds. AS late as
the winter of 1907 my friend and my
self caught no less than ten mink.
But the following winter our place
was discovered by other boys and
what they did not catch were fright
ened away-all except one old fellow
the King of the Island" ] suppose.
for he was bigger than any of his fell
lows-still went his way unharmed by
trap or dog.
We tried every way to catch this old
fellow, but all in vain. He seemed to
even enjoy leading the hounds in
merry chase. He soon came to be
KNOWN as If1c FioOuOO, anu tlin0i
because they thought that he could
not be caught or had grown tired of
the game they gave it up as bad
job and the old fellow was left in COM
parative peace. Many water fowl
came to these marshes to feed at night
and Mr.. Mink managed to do little
trapping on his own account Don
and ! owned a young hound that we
had been training very successfully on
fur beavers and we decided to try him
on the 'island mink
SO one damp, cold night in Decem-
Der found Don and myself in the
weeds of Jackson island, while Charlie,
the dog, unraveled a cold trail that we
supposed was the mink's. The dog
was soon warming up in fine shape
over toward a large marsh and we felt
sure il was the much coveted mink.
Mr.. Mink was not to be caught nap
ping however. and he at once put his
old trick in operation. The pup was
bothered n good deal when he came to
a place where the trail vanished, but
we kept encouraging him and he fin
ally picked it up at little distance
and had it going again After pos
sibly half an hour longer Don thought
he heard Charlie back down below the
island in the big south marsh. We
started on a run and when we arrived
there the dog was splashing through
Ine H1aTSH. After dWnlle Ine splash
ing came nearer the bank and we
could make out the shape of the dog.
Once I thought | caught a glimpse of
a small object just ahead of the dog,
but was not sure Head off the mink
from that tree" I yelled to Don as
saw the dog making for it. But we
were not quick enough. and when we
reached the tree, which was a low.
live. leaning oak old Charlie was
barking at it. I put the lantern over
my head and began looking for his
eyes. 1 finally caught them in a
bunch of old moss and dead leaves
not fifteen feet from the ground. Hold
ing up the light and taking as steady
aim as possible I fired. There was
then a slight rustling and down fell
the largest mink 1 ever saw. As we
then thought of the many times we
had planned his downfall and how cas-
lily he outwitted us each time, only to
be brought down a. last, a strange
pity for the old fellow came over us,
and as we arose to take our way
homeward Don said; II am almost
sorry We got him." ME, too" said /.