CHAPTER IX 



ON WILD LIFE TRAILS 



A SKUNK passed by me going down the 

 trail. In sight was a black bear coming 

 up. Which of these wilderness fellows 

 would give or be forced to give the right-of-way ? 

 There must be trail rights. I sat near the trail 

 an innocent and concealed by-stander a bump 

 on a log wondering about the wilderness eti- 

 quette for the occasion. 



The black bear is happy-go-lucky. This one 

 was pre-occupied until within two lengths of the 

 skunk. A three-length side-leap and he stood 

 watchful and ready to escape. The solemn, slow- 

 moving skunk held the right-of-way and passed 

 by without a turn of his head toward the curious 

 and watching black bear. The skunk ever has 

 his own way. His influence is most far reaching. 



The wilderness has a web of wild life trails. 

 Many of these are dim. The unobserved of 

 all observers, I often sat in hiding close to a 

 worn, much-trampled wild life trail a highway 

 where it crossed a high point. 



Before me just at sunrise a grizzly and a 



"3 



