32 WATCHED BY WILD ANIMALS 



time to defend himself. He looked all around, 

 and with stiffly turned neck was trying to see 

 into the tree-tops when another cone came pat- 

 tering down on the other side of him. This 

 frightened him and at best speed he started in 

 a run out of the grove. Just as he was well 

 into action another squirrel cut off a cone and 

 this bounded and struck near the skunk. He 

 passed me doing his best, and I am sure at rec- 

 ord speed for a skunk. 



The skunk is ever prepared. So ready is he 

 that bears, lions, or wolves rarely attempt to 

 spring a surprise. I ever tried not to surprise 

 one, but one day a skunk surprised me. 



I was edging carefully along a steep, grassy 

 mountainside that was slippery with two or 

 three inches of wet snow. But with all my 

 care both feet suddenly lost traction at once. 

 Out I shot over the slippery slope. As I went I 

 swerved slightly and grabbed for a small bush. 

 A second before landing I saw a skunk behind 

 that bush; he at that instant saw me. The 

 bush came out by the roots and down slid bush, 

 skunk, and myself. 



I expected every second that the skunk would 

 attend strictly to business. In the sliding and 

 tumbling I rolled completely over him. But 

 as there was " nothing doing" he must have been 

 too agitated or too busy to go into action. 



