42 WATCHED BY WILD ANIMALS 



west say that a skunk may be so killed and that 

 a sharp whack of a pole across his back para- 

 lyzes nerve action result, no smell. 



In a conversation with a Crow Indian he 

 assured me of his ability to successfully kill a 

 skunk with a pole, and also that he was plan- 

 ning to have a fresh one for dinner. I was to 

 eat with him. 



He procured a pole and invited me to go along. 

 I told him of my plan to go down stream for 

 the night. He would not hear of it. As I made 

 ready to go his entire family, then a part of the 

 tribe, came to protest as they were planning to- 

 morrow to show me a bear den and a number of 

 young beavers. There was no escape. 



Skunk stew was served. I felt more solemn 

 than I appeared, but not wanting to offend the 

 tribe I tried a mouthful of skunk. But there 

 are some things that cannot be done. I tried 

 to swallow it but go down it simply would not. 

 The Indians had been watching me and sud- 

 denly burst out in wild laughter and saved me. 



I wonder if the clean white forked stripe in 

 the jet black of the skunk's back renders him 

 visible in the night. Does this visibility pre- 

 vent other animals from colliding with him, 

 and thus prevent the consequences of such col- 

 lision ? The skunk prowls both day and night, 

 and it may be that this distinct black and white 



