weasels, minks and foxes as well. Hence I bow 

 to the rabbit as to a superior intelligence : one 

 deeply versed in the ancient lore of woodcraft and 

 possessing knowledge as yet unrevealed to us. Does 

 he carry some charm whereby the earth opens 

 and receives him in need, some tarn hut in which 

 he becomes invisible, or does the fabled St.-John's- 

 wort exercise for his race a special protection? 

 What shall fill the place of the wild things when 

 they are swept from the earth ? Why not tolerate 

 an occasional fox if only to hear him yap, and to 

 have the assurance that there is still this much 

 untamed ? 



In such a timid world, where fear of man is so 

 large a factor, one is struck by the least evidence 

 of self-assurance. In view of this I entertain a 

 covert admiration for the skunk. Fear rests lightly 

 on his shoulders. Meet him in the woods, teeter- 

 ing along, and he is the less concerned of the two. 

 His imperturbability is his leading characteristic. 

 In this he is the very opposite of the coon. But he 

 knows how terrible is the weapon he carries, how 

 vulnerable the nose of man. The nose is the point 

 of attack ; he would slay you through your olfac- 

 tories. It is seldom any one says a good word 



149 



