OTHER LITTLE ANIMALS 295 



similar nature, one drop of the inky fluid which it throws out to 

 hide it from pursuers burning the fisherman's eyes like scalding 

 acid. As far as white trappers are concerned, sikak is only taken 

 by the chance shots of idle days. Yet the Indian hunts the skunk 

 apparently utterly oblivious of the smell. Traps, poison, deadfalls, 

 pens are the Indian weapons against the skunk ; and a Cree will 

 deliberately skin and stretch a pelt in an atmosphere that is blue 

 with what is poison to the white man. 



A story is told of three trappers hunting the skunk on the North 

 Saskatchewan. One was an Englishman who had been long in 

 the service of the Hudson's Bay Company and knew all the animals 

 of the north. The second was the guide, a French-Canadian, and 

 the third a Sandy, fresh "frae oot the land o' heather." The men 

 were wakened one night by the noise of some animal scrambling 

 through the window into their cabin and rummaging in the dark 

 among the provisions. The Frenchman sprang for a light and 

 Sandy got hold of his gun. 



"Losh, mon, it's a wee bit beastie a' strip't black and white wi' a 

 tail like a so'dier's cockade!" 



That information brought the Englishman to his feet howling, 

 "Don't shoot it! Don't shoot it! Leave that thing alone, I tell 

 you!" 



But Sandy being a true son of Scotia with a Presbyterian love 

 of argument wished to debate the question. 



"An' what for wu'd a leave it eating a' the oatmeal ? I'll no 

 leave it rampagin' th' eatables — I wull be pokin' it oot! — shoo! 

 — shoo!" 



At that the Frenchman flung down the light and bolted for the 

 door, followed by the English trader cursing between set teeth 

 that before "that blundering blockhead had argued the matter" 

 something would happen. 



Something did happen. 



Sandy came through the door with such precipitate haste that 

 the topmost beam brought his head a mighty thwack, roaring out 



