The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-11
BY ERNEST HAROLD BAYNEs.

I believe that a reasonable knowledge
OF skunks Is apt 10 be very useful to one
who lives i'm the country, for it will not
only keep him from making unfortunate
mistakes himself, now and then, but will
enable MIN to appreciate the ludicrous ac-
cidents 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 lot of money, had decided 10 spend
the rest of his life as a country gentle
man. One night / was coming home late
when heard loud voices in my neighbours
garden. Not knowing what trouble might
be afoot, / walked round to the back of
the house, where an interesting alteration
was in progress. My neighbor stood on
the balcony outside his bedroom window.
dressed only in his trousers and shirt, and
in a loud. excited voice was giving orders.
in badly-spoken English, to an Irishman-of-
all-work named Mike, who seemed to be in
no particular hurry to execute them For
some time L could not make out what the
matter was. but presently. between the
volleys of sentences from the balcony, l
heard Mike shout that he'd be dommed if
skunk for any mon" Now my neighbor
understands very little English when he is
excited, and at such times an Irish brogue
conveys nothing at all to him. But, as
Mike walked away in a most determined
manner, it 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 imprisoned there.
His courage was not 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 L felt certain
that he did not understand what he was
up against" 1 though it but neighborly
thing TO warn him. i got as far as you
had better look out, Mr.. Guggenheimer."
when ne waved me off with wild swing
of the arm. He was not to be thwarted
in his purpose, there was nothing to do
but wait and see the fun. The skunk was
far less anxious for battle, and, with
lowered tail, was restlessly pacing back
and forth looking for a hole to escape by.
Guggenheimer advanced TO within perhaps
eight feet of the enemy, and then picked
from the ground a small box which he de-
liberateIy aimed at the skunk. He did not
hit the little animal. but the latter gave
him full credit for his intentions, and re-
turned the fire. The skunk was evidently
a better marksman, and, judging from the
howl which issued from my neighbours
throat, must have made a bulls-eye, or
near it. Guggenheimer retreated in dis
order, leaving the skunk to walk calmly
out of the open door. My neighbor spent
the balance of the night i'm the carriage
house, whence the sound of squirting water
gave evidence of what was going on in
side.
The advantage of q working knowledge
of skunks was again brought to my at
| tention only a few weeks ago. A boy, one
of a number 1 had been trying to 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 1 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 1 came
| within a quarter of a mile of the spot,
noticed faint odor which made me sus-