T H E TRAVELLER AND THE POLE-CAT.
ON a journey from Louisville to Henderson in Kentucky, performed
during very severe winter weather, in company with a foreigner, the initials
of whose name are D. T., my companion spying a beautiful animal,
marked with black and pale yellow, and having a long and bushy tail,
exclaimed, " Mr AUDUBON, is not that a beautiful squirrel ?? " Yes," I
answered, " and of a kind that will suffer you to approach it, and lay
hold of it, if you are well gloved." Mr D. T. dismounting, took up a
dry stick, and advanced toward the pretty animal, with his large cloak
floating in the breeze. I think I see him approach, and laying the stick
gently across the body of the animal, try to secure it; and I can yet
laugh almost as heartily as I then did, when I plainly saw the discomfiture
of the traveller. The Pole-cat, (for a true Pole-cat it was, the
Mephitis americana of zoologists), raised its fine bushy tail, and showered
such a discharge of the fluid given him by nature as a defence, that
my friend, dismayed and infuriated, began to belabour the poor animal.
The swiftness and good management of the Pole-cat, however, saved its
bones, and as it made its retreat towards its hole, it kept up at every
step a continued ejectment, which fully convinced the gentleman that the
pursuit of such squirrels as these was at the best an unprofitable employment.
This was not all, however. I could not suffer his approach, nor
could my horse; it was with difficulty he mounted his own; and we
were forced to continue our journey far asunder, and he much to leeward.
Nor did the matter end here. We could not proceed much farther that
night; as, in the first place, it was nearly dark when we saw the Polecat,
and as, in the second place, a heavy snow-storm began, and almost
impeded our progress. We were forced to make for the first cabin we
saw. Having asked and obtained permission to rest for the night, we
dismounted and found ourselves amongst a crowd of men and women
who had met for the purpose of wn-shucMng.
To a European who has not visited the western parts of the United
States, an explanation of this corn-shucking may not be unacceptable.
THE TRAVELLER A N D T H E POLE-CAT. 311
Corn (or you may prefer calling it maize) is gathered in the husk, that
is, by breaking each large ear from the stem. These ears are first thrown
into heaps in the field, and afterwards carried in carts to the barn, or, as
in this instance, and in such portions of Kentucky, to a shed made of the
blades or long leaves that hang in graceful curves from the stalk, and
which, when plucked and dried, are used instead of hay as food for horses
and cattle. The husk consists of several thick leaves rather longer than
the corn-ear itself, and which secure it from the weather. It is quite a
labour to detach these leaves from the ear, when thousands of bushels of
the corn are gathered and heaped together. For this purpose, however,
and in the western country more especially, several neighbouring families
join alternately at each other's plantations, and assist in clearing away the
husks, thus preparing the maize for the market or for domestic use.
The good people whom we met with at this hospitable house, were on
the point of going to the barn (the farmer here being in rather good condition)
to work until towards the middle of the night. When we had
stood the few stares to which strangers must accustom themselves, no
matter where, even in a drawing-room, we approached the fire. What
a shock for the whole party ! The scent of the Pole-cat, that had been
almost stifled on my companion's vestments by the cold of the evening
air, now recovered its primitive strength. The cloak was put out of the
house, but its owner could not be well used in the same way. The company,
however, took to their heels, and there only remained a single
black servant, who waited on us until supper was served.
I felt vexed at myself, as I saw the good traveller displeased. Rut
he had so much good breeding as to treat this important affair with great
forbearance, and merely said he was sorry for his want of knowledge in
zoology. The good gentleman, however, was not only deficient in
zoological lore, but, fresh as he was from Europe, felt more than uneasy
in this out-of-the-way house, and would have joroceeded towards my own
house that night, had I not at length succeeded in persuading him that
he was in perfect security.
We were shewn to bed. As I was almost a stranger to him, and he
to me, he thought it a very awkward thing to be obliged to lie in the
same bed with me, but afterwards spoke of it as a happy circumstance,
and requested that I should suffer him to be placed next the logs, thinking,
no doubt, that there he should run no risk.