GLIMPSES OF WILD LIFE 179 



safely to an open flour barrel, and he was our pris- 

 oner. Much, amusement my little boy and I antici- 

 pated with him. He partook of food that same day, 

 and on the second day would eat the chestnuts in 

 our presence. Never did he show the slightest fear 

 of us or of anything, but he was unwearied in his 

 efforts to regain his freedom. After a few days we 

 put a strap upon his neck and kept him tethered by 

 a chain. But in the night, by dint of some hocus- 

 pocus, he got the chain unsnapped and made off, and 

 is now, I trust, a patriarch of his tribe, wearing a 

 leather necktie. 



The skunk visits every farm sooner or later. One 

 night I came near shaking hands with one on my 

 very door-stone. I thought it was the cat, and put 

 down my hand to stroke it, when the creature, prob- 

 ably appreciating my mistake, moved off up the 

 bank, revealing to me the white stripe on its body 

 and the kind of cat I had saluted. The skunk is 

 not easily ruffled, and seems to employ excellent 

 judgment in the use of its terrible weapon. 



Several times I have had calls from woodchucks. 

 One looked in at the open door of my study one day, 

 and, after sniffing a while, and not liking the smell 

 of such clover as I was compelled to nibble there, 

 moved on to better pastures. Another one invaded 

 the kitchen door while we were at dinner. The 

 dogs promptly challenged him, and there was a lively 

 scrimmage upon the door-stone. I thought the dogs 

 were fighting, and rushed to part them. The inci- 

 dent broke in upon the drowsy summer noon, as did 



