The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-10-10
BITS ABOUT sKUNKs.

then, Dut VIII enable MIN 10 appreciate
ludicrous accidents which occasionally
arise from the ignorance of others.
Not so very long ago, had for a
neighbor a rather aggressive German,
who had lived all his life in the city.
but who, having made a lot of money,
had decided to spend the rest of his
life as a country gentleman. One night
l was coming home late when / heard
loud voices in my neighbours garden.
Not knowing what trouble might be
afoot, I'walked round to the back of the
house, where an interesting alteration
was in progress. My neighbor stood on
the balcony outside his bedroom VIM
dow, dressed only in his trousers and
shirt, and in loud, excited voice he
was giving orders, in badly-broken
English to an Irish man-of-all-work
named Mike, who seemed to be in no
particular hurry to execute them. For
some time 1 could not make out what
the matter was, but presently, between
the voIleys of sentences from the bal
cony, l heard Mike shout that he'd be
domned if he'd go into a chicken coop
and tackle skunk for any mon." Now,
my neighbor understands very little
English when he is excited, and at such
times an Irish brogue conveys moth
ing at all to him. But, as Mike walked
away in most determined manner, 1t
was not difficult to understand that the
order to tackle the skunk would not be
obeyed This enraged the German to
such an extent that he started for the
hen-yard himself further strengthened
in his purpose by the entreaties of his
wife, who begged him not to risk his
precious life by entering the coop with
the wild animal which Mike had i'm
prisoned there. His courage was not a
whit the less when he discovered that
the intruder was but a little black-and-
white creature, no bigger than a small
cat. / saw that he was about to open
the door. AS felt certain that he did
not understand what he was up
against" I thought it but a neighbour
ly thing to warn him. I got as far as
You had better look out. Mr.. Guggen-
heiner." when he waved me off with a
wild swing of the arm. He was not to
be thwarted in his purpose, so there was
nothing to do but wait and see the fun.
The skunk was far less anxious for bat
| tie, and with lowered tail, was restlessly
pacing back and forth looking for hole
| to escape. Guggenheimer advanced to
within perhaps eight feet of the enemy,
and then picked from the ground a
small box which he deliberately aimed
at the skunk. He did not hit the ami
| NAL, but the latter gave him full credit
for his intentions, and returned the fire.
f! The skunk was evidently better
| marksman, and, judging from the howl
issued from my neighbours throat, must
| have made bulrs-eye. Or very near it.
| Guggenheinner retreated in disorder,
| leaving the skunk to walk calmly out
of the open door. My neighbor spent
| the balance of the night In the carriage
| house, whence the sound of squirting
| water gave evidence of what was going
on inside.
| The advantage of working knowl-
edge of skunks was again brought to my
| attention only few weeks ago. A boy,
one of number / had been trying tc
| break to the practice of trapping small
/ animals, called at my house, to inform
me that he had caught a muskrat in a
| steel trap, and wished to know If
| would come and help to pull it out OF
| the hole from which he had been unable
| to dislodge it. Calling to my assistant
to come along, 1 followed the boy to the
outskirts of a small town, where the
| trap had been set. AS came within a
quarter of mile of the spot, I noticed
] faint odor which made me suspect
that the boy had been mistaken in his
| diagnosis. Before we arrived, I was
sure Of 1t, but said nothing, and
reaching down, took the chain of the
trap in my hand and pulled. The ami.
NAL certainly did stick fast, but pres.
emily I felt it's hold giving way, and
when had drawn it 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. f'Just pull him right OUT
As the boy took hold of the chain, ]
stepped back. and motioned to m,
assistant to do likewise. There was g
sturdy tug at the chain, and out upor
the grass Topped a great big skunk
The boys eyes almost popped out of his
head with surprise, and he dropped the
chain as if 1t had burned him. The ami.
NAL headed for the burrow at once, but
1 would not have this. called ON the
boy to stop him, and as he took hold of
the chain again, called his attention
to the fact that the skunk had already
been twenty-four hours in the trap, ant
that if he allowed it to escape with thai
trap on its leg, should refer his CASE
to The Society for the Prevention OF
Cruelty to Animals. I told him further
that, if he wanted the skunk, he mus
take it home and kill 1t at once; if not
he must let it CO.. He decided to TAXI
it. home, and he might have done 81
without trouble had he used more carr
than he did. but in walking along HI
bumped the skunk against rock. The
long-suffering animal resented this las
insult swiftly and vigorously, to the ut
ter confusion of the boy who simpl,
dropped the chain and howled. Hi
|. cries quickly brought to the scene {
motley gathering Of his relatives ant
neighbors, all of whom wanted to know
the cause Of the noise, though thi
should have been apparent to any on
: not suffering from paralysis. In tn
meantime the skunk was hobbling OF
through the bushes, and, fearing that h,
might get away with the trap on hi
leg, told my assistant to catch hin
land set him free. He quickly caugh