The Mephttic Skunk. 117 



quarters with a skunk, by covering up the face, 

 one's clothes only are ruined. But this is not all one 

 has to fear from an encounter ; the worst is that 

 effluvium, after which crushed garlic is lavender, 

 which tortures the olfactory nerves, and appears to 

 pervade the whole system like a pestilent ether, 

 nauseating one until sea-sickness seems almost a 

 pleasant sensation in comparison. 



To those who know the skunk only from reputa- 

 tion, my words might seem too strong ; many, 

 however, who have come to close quarters with the 

 little animal will think them ridiculously weak. 

 And consider what must the feelings be of one who 

 has had the following experience — not an uncommon 

 experience on the pampas. There is to be a dance 

 at a neighbouring house a few miles away ; he 

 has been looking forward to it, and, dressing himself 

 with due care, mounts his horse and sets out full of 

 joyous anticipations. It is a dark windy evening, 

 but there is a convenient bridle-path through the 

 dense thicket of giant thistles, and striking it he puts 

 his horse into a swinging gallop. Unhappily the 

 path is already occupied by a skunk, invisible in the 

 darkness, that, in obedience to the promptings of 

 its insane instinct, refuses to get out of it, until the 

 flying hoofs hit it and ssnd it like a well-kicked 

 football into the thistles. But the forefoot of the 

 horse, up as high as his knees perhaps, have been 

 sprinkled, and the rider, after coming out into the 

 open, dismounts and walks away twenty yards from 

 his animal, and literally smells himself all over, and 

 with a feeling of profound relief pronounces himself 

 clean. Not the minutest drop of the diabolical spray 



