THE SPOTTED SKUNK 291 



way. The skunk had had a bit of pure play." 

 I never eat bacon, but once in a while some of 

 the boys who come to see me bring a piece along 

 with them, and, when they go away, leave a bit 

 for my animal friends. Once not long ago when 

 they did this, the odors of the bacon soon drew 

 my skunk, which lives under the house, out 

 from her hole. She came about dusk, but, find- 

 ing me in the house, desisted from entering just 

 then. As soon as I went to bed, however, she 

 wiggled through a big crack in the chimney 

 and found the delectable meat. I heard her go 

 in; the characteristic wooden-legged, waddling, 

 shufHing gait was unmistakable. I immediately 

 got up, went into the house, and lighted the 

 lamp. There was my skunk on the shelf with 

 the bacon which she was now industriously 

 chewing, working her head from side to side, 

 cat fashion, to get better hold with her sharp- 

 pointed molars. As I approached within a foot 

 of her with the lamp, she seemed dazed for a 

 minute or two by the bright light. Her little 

 round jet eyes shone with much luster as she 

 looked at me. Skunks are afraid of quick move- 

 ments, as most animals are, and so I moved 



