84 
WILD AMERICANS 
“Would they come here to our camp, Uncle Ely?” 
Ginger was a little worried. 
“Not likely. If they do, let them. It might even 
be possible to catch them and handle them gently, 
with no harm done. Once I saw some boys in a camp 
capture a skunk family and make pets of the animals. 
Nobody ever smelled the scent, until a curious dog 
came up barking one day. Then everybody smelled 
it!” 
The children laughed at that. Even Mother and 
Father smiled. 
“Where do they live? I mean, where is their 
nest?” asked Ginger. 
“Oh, in a log or burrow somewhere. They hiber¬ 
nate in winter, as bears do; make a bed in some pro¬ 
tected hole and sleep until spring. One burrow may 
have two or three families of skunks, all piled up to¬ 
gether, snug and warm.” 
“And smelly,” suggested Buck. 
“Maybe,” admitted Uncle Ely, “but not much. 
They don't have to throw out their awful smell un¬ 
less they want to. It is just a means of protection. 
Nature gave some animals sharp teeth and claws with 
which to fight; to some she gave speed, so they could 
run from danger; to some she gave protective color- 
