32 WATCHED BY WILD ANIMALS 
time to defend himself. He looked all around, 
and with stiffly turned neck was trying to see 
into the tree-tops when another cone came pat- 
tering down on the other side of him. This 
frightened him and at best speed he started in 
a run out of the grove. Just as he was well 
into action another squirrel cut off a cone and 
this bounded and struck near the skunk. He 
passed me doing his best, and I am sure at rec- 
ord speed for a skunk. 
The skunk is ever prepared. So ready is he 
that bears, lions, or wolves rarely attempt to 
spring a surprise. I ever tried not to surprise 
one, but one day a skunk surprised me. 
I was edging carefully along a steep, grassy 
mountainside that was slippery with two or 
three inches of wet snow. But with all my 
care both feet suddenly. lost traction at once. 
Out I shot over the slippery slope. As I went I 
swerved slightly and grabbed for a small bush. 
A second before landing I saw a skunk behind 
that bush; he at that instant saw me. The 
bush came out by the roots and down slid bush, 
skunk, and myself. 
I expected every second that the skunk would 
attend strictly to business. In the sliding and 
tumbling I rolled completely over him. But 
as there was “nothing doing”’ he must have been 
too agitated or too busy to go into action. 
