Page:Recollections of My Boyhood.djvu/90

Rh buckshot and a wad on top of it; the long bullet, for reasons before stated, had been condemned. It was our plan to shoot at very short range and kill the animal so suddenly that it would not be able to retaliate; for the weapon a skunk fights with was as much dreaded by us as by the dogs. Speaking of the cannon being already charged, suggests the remark that all our firearms were kept loaded and ready for immediate use. Game was liable to be seen near the house at any time—dangerous wild beasts were near by at all times. The deep basso growl of the gray mountain wolf was heard of nights, as also the scream of the prowling panther, cougar, and California lion; we were few in number in the Indian territory, surrounded by their villages, never quite sure of their friendship, and frequently had cause to fear their hostility. Though we had tested the gun severely and considered it safe, we did not care to be very near it, when it went off. The gunner whose business it was to discharge the gun, for that reason, always put the coal of fire used for that purpose on the end of a very long and slim pole. When the skunk saw us advancing, it turned about and with its tail waving over its back came toward us hopping backwards, as all skunks are wont to go into action. Seeing this move on the part of the enemy, we planted the battery and I immediately sighted the gun and sprang behind the gunner, who on the spur of the moment, thrust his pole forward to apply the fire coal to the touch-hole, when the enemy discharged his battery with fatal effect, extinguishing the fire coal and routing us entirely. The gun of course fell into the hands of the enemy and we made no attempt to recover it that night. The loss of the battle was easily accounted for—we had too much tactics. We had to plant our gun, sight, and apply the fire coal, while all the skunk had to do was to plant himself and fire. What was the next thing to be done after the battle? Bury the dead? No! There was no dead except the dead fire coal and that was left on the field where it fell, probably near the touch-hole. The next thing was to bury our clothes. We went to the garden and stripped off our clothes, and buried them, then went to the house and to bed. Just before I fell asleep I heard the gunner say, "By George, warn't that skunk loaded for bear?"