THE SPOTTED SKUNK 293 



Feeling that the house was now secure 

 against all intruders, I went to bed outside at 

 night with a mind at ease. About midnight, 

 soon after, I was awakened by something crawl- 

 ing on my covering above me. It was moon- 

 light, and when I peeked out I was surprised to 

 find a little spotted skunk perched on my 

 blankets. I rose up a foot and so tilted the 

 surface of the covers that the animal slid off to 

 the ground. But she almost immediately came 

 back, this time crawling upon my shoulder, 

 whence she tried to jump off onto the low-eaved 

 roof of my house by which I was sleeping. In 

 this attempt she failed, but did not give up 

 until she tried twice again. Persistence is one 

 of the virtues the skunk ever possesses. 



The climax came that night when I awoke 

 feeling the skunk's cold nose on my neck and 

 realized that she was trying to crawl under the 

 covers with me. This was undue familiarity 

 for a night prowler, and I quickly drew my 

 head under the covers and waited until my 

 friend decamped to the other side of the house, 

 as she soon did. 



In her wanderings that night the skunk 



