EVERYDAY ADVENTURES 5 



V 



now tenanted by a fat woodchuck, who would never 

 have ventured near the den if the owners had not left 

 it. Mrs. Fox had evidently feared the worst from my 

 visit, and in the night had moved her whole family 

 to some better-hidden home. This was three years 

 ago, and, although I visit the place every winter, no 

 tell-tale tracks ever show that she has moved back. 



It is not necessary to go to the forest for adven- 

 tures: they lie in wait for us at our very doors. My 

 home is in a built-up suburb of a large city, appar- 

 ently hopelessly civilized. The other morning I 

 was out early for some before-breakfast chopping, 

 the best of all setting-up exercises. As I turned the 

 corner of the garage, I suddenly came face to face 

 with a black-and-white animal with a pointed nose, 

 a bushy tail, and an air of justified confidence. I 

 realized that I was on the brink of a meeting which 

 demanded courage but not rashness. "Be brave, be 

 brave, but not too brave, " should always be the motto 

 of the man who meets the skunk. From my past 

 experience, however, I knew that the skunk is a good 

 sportsman. Unless rushed, he always gives three 

 warnings before he proceeds to extremities. 



As I came near, he stopped and shook his head 

 sadly, as if saying to himself, "I'm afraid there's going 

 to be trouble, but it isn't my fault. " As I still came 

 on, he gave me danger signal number one by suddenly 

 stamping his forepaws rapidly on the hard ground. 

 Upon my further approach followed signal number 

 two, to wit, the hoisting aloft of his aforesaid long, 



