riioto by George Shiras, 3rd 

 NOVKMBHR FLASHLIGHT OF A PAIR OF SNOW-SHOE RABBITS IN THEIR WHITE, WINTER 



ROBES (SEE TEXT, PAGE 787) 



One evening, many years ago, while 

 hunting deer, I was returning to camp 

 along a railroad track where it crossed 

 a broad, wet swamp. The road-bed had 

 been raised above the low ground by 

 earth taken from both sides, so that the 

 single track was hemmed in by broad 

 ditches filled with water. Half way 

 across I noticed a large skunk coming 

 toward me, and the idea of a head-on 

 collision was not pleasant ; but shooing 

 and shouting had no effect, and on he 

 came. At 20 feet he raised slightly to 

 inspect me, when I tried to put a rifle 

 ball through his head — about the only 

 shot that will paralyze an intentional or 

 reflex action of the scent glands. The 

 shot missed, seemingly encouraging his 

 desire to continue up the track; so the 

 next ball went through the body, and 

 some minutes elapsed before I attempted 

 to pick a way over this odoriferous spot. 



By a coincidence, several seasons later 

 and in the same locality, there occurred 

 another adventure with an even more 

 tragic ending. 



Behind a ridge of sand, out of sight 



of the railroad trcck, and where a big 

 fallen pine made a permanent back-log 

 for the fire, was a favorite camping site, 

 and here one night we heard a rattling 

 of tin cans behind the tent. One of the 

 guides, lighting a lantern, went back to 

 investigate. We were somewhat sur- 

 prised to hear him say, ''Come here, boys, 

 if you want to see a new variety of 

 canned goods." Leaving the camp-fire^ 

 we saw a large tomato can mysteriously 

 coming toward us through the grass, the 

 result of a skunk investigating the in- 

 terior of an empty can and being un- 

 able to withdraw its head, was trying 

 to go home blindfolded. Passing the side 

 of the tent he began climbing up the 

 bank at the end of the back-log, but no 

 sooner did he feel the bark beneath his 

 feet than he turned down the log toward 

 the fire, which was sending its ruddy 

 flames many feet over the top of the log. 

 Shouting to turn him back, and this fail- 

 ing, all retreated as he approached the 

 blaze. Then came a puff of smoke from 

 the singed and sizzling fur, and the poor 

 animal toppled over into the coals below. 



791 



