about it in great glee and told it how the nice
doctor wouldn't hurt it any, but would give it a good home, with chicken
for supper, mebbe, and so on. Then he went back to his cousin and give
him a pack of cigarettes, out of his overflowing heart, and asked where
was something he could put his wild animal in and take it to town to his
great friend Doctor Hong Foy, who had a desire for it.

The cousin took the cigarettes, but he looked at Lew Wee a long time,
like he didn't understand Chinee at all. Lew Wee said it all over again.
He wanted something to take the wild animal to town in, because the
chicken coop it was now in hadn't any bottom; and was too big, anyway.

The cousin again looked at him a long time, like one in a trance. Then,
without any silly talk, he went over to the barn and handed Lew Wee a
bran sack.

Lew Wee said that was just the thing; and would the cousin come over
and help him in case the animal would be timid and not want to go in
the sack? The cousin said he would not. And he didn't go back to the
artichokes. He went to a bed of cauliflower clear at the other end of
the garden, after giving Lew Wee another of them long "Can happen!"
looks, which signify that we live in a strange and terrible world.

Lew Wee went back alone to his prize, finding it still calm, like a
gentleman in his club. He reassured it with some more cheerful words.
He had a thought right then, he says; kind of a sudden fear. He had been
told the first day by his cousin, and also by his great friend Doctor
Hong Foy, that the skunk gave out a strong scent disagreeable to many
people. But this one he'd caught didn't have any scent of any kind. So
mebbe that meant it wasn't in good condition and Doctor Hong Foy wouldn't
wish it for twenty-five dollars. However, it was sure a skunk, and looked
strong and healthy and worth taking in to the doctor, who could then tell
about its condition.

Lew Wee opened the neck of the bag, laid it on the ground close by him,
got down on his knees, and carefully raised one side of the coop. The
wild animal looked more beautiful than ever; and it didn't seem alarmed,
but just the tiniest mite suspicious. It must of looked like it was
saying it was entirely willing to be friendly, but you couldn't ever tell
about these Chinamen. Lew Wee reached a hand slowly over toward it and it
moved against the back of the coop, very watchful. Then Lew Wee made a
quick grab and caught the back of its neck neatl