The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-11
Bits About
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A NATURAL HISTORY STUDY

pect that the boy had been mistaken in his
diagnosis Before we arrived, / was sure of
it, but i said nothing. and. reaching down.
1 took the chain OF the trap in my hand
and pulled. The animal certainly did stick
fast. but presently l felt it's hold giving
way. and when 1 had drawn ii to within
perhaps a foot of the opening called TO
the boy to do his share of the work.
'You can easily manage it now / said.
Just pull him right out"
AS the boy took hold of the chain I step
ped back, and motioned to my assistant to
do likewise. There was a sturdy tug at the
chain, and out upon the grass Topped a
great big skunk. The boys eyes almost
popped out of his head with surprise, and
he dropped the chain if it had burned
him. The animal headed for the burrow
at once, but would not have this. called
on the boy to stop him, and as he took
| hold of the chain again, 1 called his at
! tention to the fact that the skunk had
already been twenty-four hours in the
| trap, and that if he allowed it to escape
with that trap on its leg, L should refer
his case to the society for the prevention of
| cruelty to animals. told him further that,
| IL he wanted the skunk. he must take it
| home and kill it at once; If not, he must
let it go. He decided TO take it home. and>
he might have done so without trouble had
he used more care than he did, but in walk
| ing along he bumped the skunk against
rock. The long-suffering animal resented
this last insult swiftly and vigorously, to
the utter confusion of the boy, who simply
/ dropped the chain and howled. His cries
| quickly brought to the scene motley
gathering of his relatives and neighbors,
all of whom wanted to know the cause of
the noise, though this should have been
apparent TO any one not suffering from
paralysis of the olfactories. In the mean
time, the skunk was hobblng off through
+! the bushes, and. fearing that he might
| get away with the trap on his leg. / told
my assistant to catch him and set him free.
He quickly caught the animal, but before
he could liberate him, determined angu-
lar-faced woman stepped clear of the crowd
and, with arms akimbo, informed us that
| the skunk must not be released; it had been
captured on her property, and consequently
| belonged to her.
| Madame, / said, with all the gravity
1 could summon at the moment. "the ami
NAL undoubtedly belongs to you, and
| shall turn him over to you with absolute
confidence that you will either give him
| good home or quickly and humanely put
| him out of his misery. John (this to my as
| sistant, kindly hand the lady the skunk"
John, with the courtesy of knight pre-
| senting a pearl necklace to a queen, step
ped forward with bow, and held out the
| chain from which dangled the center of at
| traction. But the woman stepped hastily
| back.
| mo, no, I don't want him that way;
| couldn't we put him in a barrel?"
| Possibly, madam" L answered, looking
| about the woods, ''but don't see any bar
| rel around here
| Then she guessed that she did not care
to accept it. Thereupon a man smoking
| short pipe thought it ought to belong
| to him, since he owned the trap with which
the animal was caught; but when it was
almost within his grasp, he too, waived
his rights to it.
"Well," / said, ''for the third and last
CALL is there any one here who wants
this skunk
| There was no response, and at a nod from
| me, John put his foot quietly upon the
| spring of the trap. The skunk, as soon as
| he found himself free cast a seemingly
defiant look to the right and the left and
| walked away slowly without excitement or
fear and with his bushy tail held high in
| the air.