nd terror, come running back as quick as he had gone
off.

"The pole-cat (for it was a pole-cat--the _mephitis chinga_, or American
skunk) after he had discharged the fetid shower, stood for an instant
looking over his shoulder, in such a way that we could almost fancy he
was laughing. Then jerking his tail from side to side in a frolicksome
manner, he made a bound into the bramble, and disappeared.

"Whether the skunk laughed or not, _we_ did--especially Frank, who took
this method of retaliating upon his brother for dropping the great
kettle against his shins. But we had no time to lose in talk, until we
could get some distance from the glade, which was now filled with the
suffocating smell; so, calling upon Harry to lay hold of his burden, we
hurried as quickly as possible from the spot. The dogs, however,
brought the effluvium along with them; and it required unusual scolding
and pelting of stones to keep them at a respectful distance. Harry had
come off better than I expected--as the animal had directed its battery
against the dogs; and he had only received enough of the discharge to
punish him for his rashness and disobedience.

"As we continued our journey, I took the opportunity to instruct my
children in the habits of this singular animal.

"`You have seen,' said I, addressing myself to Frank and Harry, `that it
is about the size of a cat, although broader and fleshier in the body,
lower upon the limbs, and with a sharper and more elongated snout.

"`You have seen that it is a spotted and striped animal--and in this
respect it also resembles the cat, as these spots and stripes are
different upon different individuals of the same species--so much so
that no two skunks are exactly alike in colour.

"`You have witnessed the efficient means with which Nature has armed it
against its enemies; and I shall now tell you all the rest that is known
of its habits.

"`It is a _carnivorous_ creature--destroying and eating many other
beings that have life as well as itself. For this purpose it is
furnished with strong, sharp claws, and three kinds of teeth, one of
which--termed canine, or tearing teeth--is a certain symptom of its
being a carnivorous, or flesh-eating animal. You must know, that the
shape of the teeth will always prove this. Animals that feed upon
vegetables, such as horses, sheep, rabbits, and deer, have none of these
canine teeth. Well, the skunk has four of them--two in each jaw, and
very s