The Desert Home: The Adventures of a Lost Family in the Wilderness

by Mayne Reid

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

  CATCHING A TARTAR.

  "Of course, Mary was much pleased at hearing of the discovery we hadmade. One of the first requisites of a housewife is a supply of goodsalt; and that we promised to obtain for her on the morrow. It was ourintention to carry the kettle up to the salt stream, and theremanufacture the article--as that would be more convenient than to bringthe water down to the house. This piece of work we laid out for thenext day. Meanwhile, as it was not yet near night, we caught Pompo, andset off again to bring home our black-tails. This required us to makeseveral journeys--as we had no cart by which we could bring the deer allat once, and each of them was as large as a good-sized heifer. Wesucceeded, however, in getting all to the house before sunset--exceptthe skins, which we left hanging on the trees for another day. Whilethe boys and I had been engaged at this work, Cudjo was not idle. Itwas our intention to cure the venison--not by `jerking,' as we had donethe elk-meat, but with the salt, which we were about to make on themorrow. For this purpose, we should require a large vessel capable ofholding the pickle. We had nothing of the sort; and, of course, we werepuzzled for a while as to how we should manage without it. It was earlyin the day--before we had brought in the venison--that this difficultyoccurred to us.

  "`Why could we not leave it in the stream itself?' asked Harry. `Thewater is very clear, and there are clean hard rocks on the bottom. Whycould we not sink the quarters of venison on these rocks, and make themfast, by placing great stones on them?'

  "`Ha, ha!' laughed Frank, `trust the wolves for finding them there.These gentry would soon empty your famous pickle barrel.'

  "`Look yar, Massa,' said Cudjo; `this nigga sees no difficulty 'boutdat. He soon make a place for de meat.'

  "`How, Cudjo?' inquired Mary.

  "`Why, Missa, same's dey make de ole dug-out in Vaginny--by holleringout de log.'

  "This was the very thing itself. A log hollowed out after the manner ofa canoe, or `dug-out,'--as Cudjo used to designate that species ofcraft--would answer the purpose admirably; and Cudjo, having chosen asection of a large tulip-tree, went to work. By the time we had got ourlast load to the house, he had made a cavity in the tree, that wascapable of containing the three black-tails at once. A valuable ideawas also suggested by this operation. We remembered the wooden trays,dishes, and other utensils--made in this way--that we had often seenamong the negroes on our plantation. These, however rude, we sawanswered the purpose well; and we might hereafter supply ourselves in asimilar manner.

  "After breakfast the next morning, we started for the salt stream. Weall went together, Mary riding the horse, while Cudjo and I carried thechildren in our arms. Frank and Harry took the kettle upon a long polebetween them--each, at the same time, having his rifle in the otherhand. The dogs of course followed us, and our house was left to takecare of itself. We had hung the venison up on high branches, lest thewolves might take a fancy to it in our absence.

  "Mary was charmed with the scenery as we passed along, particularlywhere the woods began to open, as they did, towards the upper end of thevalley. She noticed the various kind of trees as we advanced, and atone time uttered a joyous exclamation, as though she had seen somethingthat pleased her more than common.

  "We questioned her as to what it was; but she would satisfy us nofarther than by telling us, that she had made a discovery of nearly asmuch importance as our salt river. We were curious to know what it was,but my wife checked our curiosity by observing, very justly, that as wewere happy enough at that time, she might make us too happy; and sheshould therefore reserve her secret until we got back to our house inthe evening. `We may then be weary and out of spirits,' added she, `butI have something to tell you that will make you all merry again.'

  "I could not help admiring the good sense and patience of my wife, thusreserving pleasant news for a time when they might be more available inproducing a happy effect.

  "As we were marching through a small glade, talking and laughing in highglee, an animal leaped out of some bushes before us, and ran slowly offto one side. It was a beautiful little creature, about the size of acat, with dark glossy hair, spotted about the head and neck, and withclear white stripes running along its back. It did not go far before itstopped; and, throwing up its long bushy tail, looked back at us withthe playful and innocent air of a kitten. I knew very well what thepretty creature was. Not so the impetuous Harry, who, thinking thathere was the very `pet' he wanted, dropped his pole, kettle, and all,and made after it.

  "I cried out to him to desist; but the boy, either not hearing me--onaccount of the yelping of the dogs, who had also started in pursuit--orbeing too intent on making a capture, ran on after the animal. But thechase did not last long. The little creature, apparently not the leastfrightened at the terrible enemies that were so close upon its heels--stood near the edge of the glade, as if to await its pursuers Harry, ashe ran, was all the while eagerly scolding off the dogs. He wanted totake the little beauty alive; and he feared that the mastiffs would killit before he could come up. It looked, too, as if they would, for theywere now almost on top of it yelping with open mouths. Just at thismoment, the strange animal was seen to elevate its hind-quarters, throwits long tail forward over its back, and give a sudden jerk of its body,as if by way of an insult to its pursuers. But it meant something morethan a mere insult. It meant to punish them for their audacity. Theeffect of that singular movement was at once apparent. The dogssuddenly wheeled in their tracks. Their victorious yelping was changedto a fearful howling; and both of them ran back thrusting their nosesinto the grass, and capering over the ground as if they had either beenstung by wasps, or had suddenly fallen into convulsions! Harry stoppedfor a moment wondering at this. He did not stop long. The next momentwe saw him throw his hands up to his face, and uttering a cry thatbetokened pain and terror, come running back as quick as he had goneoff.

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

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

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

  "`You have seen,' said I, addressing myself to Frank and Harry, `that itis 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 thisrespect it also resembles the cat, as these spots and stripes aredifferent upon different individuals of the same species--so much sothat no two skunks are exactly alike in colour.

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

  "`It is a _carnivorous_ creature--destroying and eating many otherbeings that have life as well as itself. For this purpose it isfurnished with strong, sharp claws, and three kinds of teeth, one ofwhich--termed canine, or tearing teeth--is a certain symptom of itsbeing a carnivorous, or flesh-eating animal. You must know, that theshape of the teeth will always prove this. Animals that feed uponvege
tables, such as horses, sheep, rabbits, and deer, have none of thesecanine teeth. Well, the skunk has four of them--two in each jaw, andvery sharp ones, too,--and with these he kills and eats (whenever he islucky enough to get hold of them) rabbits, poultry, birds, mice, frogs,and lizards. He is very fond of eggs, too; and frequently robs thefarm-yard, and the nests of the ruffed grouse and wild turkey--killingthese birds whenever he can catch them. The killing, however, is notall upon his side--as the wolf, the horned owl, the wolverene, and thefarmer, in their turn, lull _him_ whenever they can catch him. He isnot by any means a fast runner, and his safety does not lie in hisswiftness of foot. His defensive armour is found in the fetid effluviumwhich, by a muscular exertion, he is capable of ejecting upon hispursuer. This he carries in two small _sacs_ that lie under his tail,with ducts leading outward about as large as the tube of a goose-quill.The effluvium itself is caused by a thin fluid, which cannot be seen indaylight, but at night appears, when ejected, like a double stream ofphosphoric light. He can throw it to the distance of five yards; and,knowing this, he always waits till the pursuer has fairly got withinrange--as the one we have just seen did with Castor and Pollux. Thedischarge of this fluid rarely fails to drive off such enemies aswolves, dogs, and men. Sometimes it occasions sickness and vomiting;and it is said that there are Indians who have lost their eyesight frominflammation caused by it. Dogs are frequently swollen and inflamed forweeks, after having received the discharge of a skunk. In addition tothe disagreeableness of this odour, there is no getting rid of it afterthe fluid has once been sprinkled over your garments. Clothes may bewashed and buried for months, but it will still cling to them; and wherea skunk has been, killed, the spot will retain the scent for many monthsafter, even though deep snow may have been lying upon it.

  "`It is only when attacked or angered that the animal sends forth hisoffensive fluid; and when killed suddenly, or before he has had time to"fire it off," nothing of the kind is perceived upon his carcass.

  "`The skunk is a burrowing animal, and in cold countries he enters hishole, and sleeps in a half-torpid state throughout the winter. In warmclimates, however, he continues to prowl about all the year round,generally at night--as, like most predatory creatures, the night is hisday. In his burrow, which runs several yards underground, he lives, incompany with ten or a dozen of his companions. The female has a nest inone part, made of grass and leaves, where she brings forth her young--having from five to nine kittens at a birth.

  "`Strange as it may appear, the Indians, as well as many white men--hunters and others--eat the flesh of this animal, and pronounce it bothsavoury and agreeable--equal, as they allege, to the finest roast pig.So much for the skunk and his habits. Now to the making of our salt.'"