The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-15


premises. That's where this skunk seemed 70
Be, most Of the time. He had become so fantQ-
lar. Trip said. that he'd walk right In at the
open door and help himself. to ANYTHING In
was afraid of him. and The skunk knew i and
iorded il over the shack accordingly. But |
was TO be Nemesis TO that skunk, md on the
face Of the indictment I looked luxe a hitting
up and chuckled until hrond daylight owe, the
impending fate Of his visitor. About, : o'clock
in ths morning ;" h q. ms out oy yh aas b ,eSs;
SSl-h-h,' / said; you'll scare him away.
Scare your grandmother said Trip: ..yo',
There was a difficulty, however. Behind
the shack and connecting Il with, the store
house was a sort OF open shed, and IN this his
skunkship was disportinr himself. Tripp
didn't want him killed in there said il would
mess things up too much, SO he tried TO get hin,
p r%%, i"S him M gently scSH, The Skunk jus, moved
away q little and. turned. and ! executed a
wild animal could he 50 tame.
81 suppose i was this skunk you had In
mind said, when you wrote that passage
"' THAT tn made taie" old T Tipl'" mad He ler, Of. polk
ing the visitor and began 70 swear. Finally. he
told ms 10 30 ahead and blaze away, anyhow.
h |, Ee p4 wf',tf ' %a n" u s1' hs m e sr to o s'sy he ali 'a dSn
and inGybe sleer there. Bit I didn't feel cX-
nelly like shooting the creature, H. .savored
too much .u ss, Of sGld sDIs .; mnrd s TO Kill a. an an
tor. Besides, he was n most beautiful specimen
with his, bright, eyes. well-sbaped head and
clean. silky, bushy lur. =.
said. What's. the good Of killing him.
AT that old Trip roared like q bull. The
skunk, looked at him In some surprise and drew
came coherent and beloved:
"I wont hive him round anv more' He
thinks he own the place. III show him! II
Up went his club in the air. above tho skunk's
head. That CHANGED the complexion OF matters
entirely. IL was now q case Of self-preservatiOn
barrels 81 my gun al loaded vii With buck s",ls's SHOT G0a az
one-vard range, and that skunk simply disin:
i%sgrated. Hardlr a tinge Of odor eve, renaired
For a Tpmsn there was silence following The
patch OF fur and s~traightway began TO caper,
accompanying himself with a harharohs and
'hurderous chant, OF which tho burden was:
He's dead. dod rot him,
Hes dead. dod rot him
He's dead: he's d. ad; he's dead. dod rot him.
This he kept up until I retired into the shack
with my hands over my ears for verlv thought
Inv enr-drtlfns were going to split. Is. and by
Tripp came in and wanted in his gratitude to
make me a present Of The Life of p 7. Barnum.
a gift which succeeded in declining only BY
the exercise OF great Diplomacy.
..took Trip standing up, sitting down. with the
dog and the horse and the oxen, with his hat on
and his hat on and his hat lifted on a pole ian
idea OF has own which he cons .dered
picturesque. but always with a broad and
vivid smile Of qualification shining through
his heavy beard like sunlight through a thlcket.
He even regretted the skunk. for a moment,
when b" thought how effective that deceased
animal would have been as the centre Of a
group. Deep was his disappointment at learn
ing that couldn't turn out the prints right
away, and he made me promise a dozen times
that wouldn't forget to send them 10 him,
When IL came time for me to 90 old Trip
almost wept. lie begged me to stay one more
day, anyway. but we were about breaking
camp over in our wi camp and ] couldn't
stay. So he pointed me out the path and |
left. The last thing ] saw OF Trip he was
standing in front of the shack with a most
lugubrious countenance. sadly waving me
n farewell with his big, SLOUGH hat. But 10
wasn't the last ! heard OF him. I must have
travelled o iull mile when the drying leaves
overhead thrilled to the sound OF his great,
deep voice:
"'Oh-h-h-h-h, Brandt Oh-h-h.h-h, Brandt,
Do-o-o-o.o'nt fergit to send them pho-o-o-o-o-
tographs'"