MONGOLA AND HIS BROTHERS 



acid-like fluid with its pungent odor, which is 

 their only means of defence. 



After killing the parent animals the trapper 

 and his son turned their attention to the skunk's 

 burrow. With my handkerchief held to my 

 nose I rode within a few feet of the poor crea- 

 tures who had just lost their useful lives. Dis- 

 mounting, I stood with my bridle-strap over 

 my arm in rapt admiration as the trapper un- 

 earthed five little black and white kitten-like 

 skunks, four to five inches long. They were 

 huddled together in a round ball of fur upon a 

 bed of dry grass. 



The trapper looked at me with a merry 

 twinkle in his eye and said, "you want some"? 

 I was delighted and at once held out my empty 

 lunch-basket in which to receive them. His 

 son, who had lived with us and had been my 

 companion on many a long ramble over the 

 plains, thought more kindly and told me to 

 leave my basket and go away for a little while. 

 During my absence he removed the scent- 

 glands from three of the little skunks. He 

 then lined the basket with some soft grass and 

 into it tucked the three harmless creatures. 



