CAPTURED AT LAST
It was in September that Striped Coat made an important discovery;
travelling further up Goose Creek than usual, he came across a log
cabin, not the kind ordinarily built by summer visitors on a good stream
for canoeing, but one which seemed a part of the woods itself.
Instead of being wary about approaching it, Striped Coat found it
actually luring him. Coming closer, he found at one end an open door
leading into a room lighted only by the dull glow from an open
fire-place in front of which stood cozy chairs and a table, objects
which to him seemed to offer good cover under which to hide if
necessary.
For some moments he stood on the threshold, lured by the smell of food
and by the interesting look of the place, but undecided whether it was
safe to venture where man had evidently recently been. Finally,
encouraged by the absolute quiet, he stepped in, warily, but without any
fear, for real fear such as many animals showed, was something which he
did not seem ever to have. Wandering silently about the room, his
nostrils dulled by the smoke, he came directly in front of a man lolling
comfortably in one of the chairs. The effect was almost electrical. The
man's eyes grew suddenly round and bulging and he turned a complete
backward somersault, landing on his feet and then diving through the
open window.
"Help!" he yelled when outside. "Mr. Henry, come quick!"
Striped Coat, who had fluffed up in readiness for anything, moved for
the door, just as another man sprang in and slammed it behind him. The
man stood absolutely motionless with his back against the door looking
at Striped Coat who had stopped with tail over his back and every hair
on end waiting for the slightest further move of this new enemy. It was
a critical moment. The man won; Striped Coat would not attack, his
weapon was for defense, and the man did not move even a finger.
So Striped Coat sidled to the other end of the room to find another
outlet. He did not hurry, he was on his dignity and knew he was being
watched. Looking up at the open window, which was out of his reach, he
was just in time to see the top of the first man's head duck out of
sight. Mike had come back to watch, but knew a skunk when he saw one and
was taking no chances.
There was no other opening. Striped Coat was trapped at last.
Mr. Henry, the man at the door moved quietly to a chair and sat down.
"Mike," he called, "did you ever see a skunk like that? It's the black
one they're all after. Isn't he a daisy!" The top of Mike's head and one
eye appeared warily over the window sill.
"He's all of that," he answered, "the biggest, prettiest skunk I ever
saw! And he nearly had me, too!" Mr. Henry laughed, then picked a piece
of fish from one of the plates on the table, and laid it on the floor in
front of him. Soon Striped Coat in circling the room again, came across
this and ate it just to show he was not afraid. When he came around
again, he found another piece in the same place and ate that. It was
good fish! Every time he came to that spot he found a piece, laid there
by Mr. Henry, whom he presently began to watch with more interest than
he would show an enemy. When this man moved at all, it was so slowly
that Striped Coat could not take offense.
Presently the man stood up, very quietly moved to the corner of the room
and pulled a huge wood box the distance of a foot from the wall; behind
this, in the corner, he spread some clothes and an armful of cotton
waste. Striped Coat could go in and out of this cozy nest from either
side of the box; it therefore had none of the looks of a trap. After a
little while he tried it, then tried it again and finally settled down
for a rest in this new bed.
"Well, I never!" came from the awe-struck Mike. Mr. Henry then arranged
some bedding on one of the sofas and suggested that Mike also prepare
for a sleep; but that worthy preferred the boat. The last thing was to
place some more fish and a bowl of water on the floor and to open the
door leading out to the woods; after that Mr. Henry went comfortably to
sleep on the couch.
Striped Coat, too, actually took a nap, the warmth being pleasant and
the stillness reassuring. Before the glow of the fire had entirely died,
however, he walked out and looked all around the room; finding the door
open he moved out, then returned and ate the fish; soon afterwards he
was again in the woods but with no unfriendly feeling towards the Henry
cabin. Near the Creek he came across a likely den under a stump, and
being loggy with all the food he had eaten, slipped in there for the
day.
This proved a serious blunder, for a picnic party came up the creek in
canoes and chose that precise spot for luncheon. One of the men sat on
the stump and amused himself by poking sticks into the hollow underneath
it, finding to his surprise that something inside resented this and
replied with distinctly audible stamps of its feet. Proudly announcing
this discovery, he poked more thoroughly while the others stood about
and excitedly encouraged him.
Suddenly there was a scuffle and out sprang Striped Coat, at the same
time giving the young man the full benefit of the musk bath. Amid the
confusion of shrieks from the women and yells from the men he slipped
into the bushes and ran as he had never run before. After him came a
yelling crowd, gathering up sticks and trying to head him off.
And still Striped Coat ran, dodging and threatening his pursuers when
they came too close, but ever getting nearer to the Henry cabin. At the
open doorway stood Mr. Henry, a pipe in his mouth; he did not move a
muscle as the wood pussy crossed the little clearing, eyed him
inquiringly and then slipped by and into his nest behind the woodbox,
with all his old dignity suddenly returned.
Outside the cabin a howl of joy went up from the pursuers.
"We've got him now!" they shouted. But Mr. Henry still quietly smoked in
the doorway and eyed them composedly.
"The skunk," he said, at last, "is in my house. It is safe with me."
"But that's the black skunk! That's old Striped Coat!" shouted one. They
stood about arguing until another of their number called disgustedly.
"Ah! can't you see? He wants all the reward for himself. Come on back."
Then they trooped away, vowing all kinds of vengeance; but Mr. Henry
still smoked.
He was however thinking very hard. Unless he did exactly the right thing
he saw very clearly that this splendid little animal of the woods would
sooner or latter be killed or captured. The news of where it had last
been seen would spread only too quickly. Presently he called in the
reluctant Mike and helped him make a hole in one corner of the cabin
floor to serve as a safer retreat for Striped Coat who by using it could
go under the cabin itself.
And Striped Coat seemed to understand, for all that night he could be
heard digging under the floor to make the place even more cozy and safe.