the excitement
going on and recognized your voice. I decided to call your phone,
so you knew we were listening in.”
“I am so sorry we bothered you,” Hal
apologized, blushing.
Jean choked on laughter. “No problem. I'm
just glad it's you and not me that has to empty that trap.”
“Thanks a lot,” Hal said.
“You really shouldn't call nine one one for
evacuating a skunk from a trap,” Jean cautioned seriously.
“Of course not. I'll be sure to deliver your
message to the one that made the call. I'm so sorry we bothered
you.” After she hung up, Hal looked from her mother to her aunt.
“Which one of you called nine one one about the skunk? You got us
in trouble with the emergency center.”
The women looked innocently at each other and
shrugged.
Hal fisted her hands on her hips. “I'm to
tell the caller a skunk in a trap wasn't the kind of emergency the
center handles. Both of you check your phones, please.”
“Hal, my phone is upstairs. I haven't touched
it for a long time,” Nora declared.
Tootie snatched up her phone from the floor
and checked it. “Uh oh!” Tootie eased the phone to her ear.
Quickly, she shut it off. “Someone was laughing on the other
end.”
“Aunt Tootie!” Hal screeched.
“I'm sorry, Hal. I didn't know when the phone
fell it speed dialed itself nine one one,” Aunt Tootie said
sheepishly.
Hal turned to face John. “John, about the
skunk.”
“Oh no, I cannot take care of the skunk. I
have to milk, and the cows will not come in the milk room if I
smell like skunk,” John said.
“Dad?”
“It's daylight now. I have to help John
milk,” Jim said, lining up with John and the boys.
“All of you are cowards. Fine, I will empty
the trap. First, I have to change into some old clothes.”
“You can use a pair of my old trousers and a
shirt,” John offered.
“That's generous of you,” Nora said
dryly.
John shrugged as he grinned at her. He headed
for the barn with Jim following him.
Hal rushed from the room. She came back in a
few minutes in one of John's blue work shirts and black trousers.
She'd put on her oldest black bonnet over her prayer cap to cover
her hair. A black work hanky covered her nose and mouth. A pair of
yellow chore gloves protected her hands. She held up John's
twenty-two rifle. “Wish me luck, ladies.”
“You should find something to throw over the
trap to keep the skunk from pewing you. The stink will get on you
bad enough from just handling the trap and being near that animal,”
Nora said.
“Sure enough. I'll get an old sheet out of
the rag basket.” Hal rushed off and came back carrying a folded
sheet. She leaned the rifle against the wall and unfolded the sheet
just enough to cover the trap. “Now I'm ready. Pray for me.”
Aunt Tootie cried, “We will, dear.”
Hal took a deep breath and walked
outside.
Nora and Aunt Tootie rushed to the clinic
window to watch. Hal threw the sheet over the side of the porch.
She eased over to look down at the trap. With a grim expression,
she looked at her mother and aunt. “I've got the trap covered.”
Hal walked down the steps and along the
porch, She felt for the middle of the live trap and eased the
handle upright to lifted it. The trap felt light. The skunk sure
didn't weigh much.
Now where should she take the trap? Maybe to
the edge of the hay field. She'd shoot the skunk and dump the body
in the gully.
Hal tried not to take more than small gasps
as she hurried along the lane. From the pasture drifted the bleats
of her sheep flock, wanting her attention. This was no time to stop
and inspected the ewes and buck like she usually would.
Somewhere she'd heard or read a skunk has to
brace his feet to pew. She surely didn't have to worry about that
with him off balance until she set the trap down.
When Hal reached the edge of the alfalfa, she
looked around. The day was going to be a nice one. Why did this old
skunk have to ruin it?
Hal eased the trap to the ground. She grabbed
a
going on and recognized your voice. I decided to call your phone,
so you knew we were listening in.”
“I am so sorry we bothered you,” Hal
apologized, blushing.
Jean choked on laughter. “No problem. I'm
just glad it's you and not me that has to empty that trap.”
“Thanks a lot,” Hal said.
“You really shouldn't call nine one one for
evacuating a skunk from a trap,” Jean cautioned seriously.
“Of course not. I'll be sure to deliver your
message to the one that made the call. I'm so sorry we bothered
you.” After she hung up, Hal looked from her mother to her aunt.
“Which one of you called nine one one about the skunk? You got us
in trouble with the emergency center.”
The women looked innocently at each other and
shrugged.
Hal fisted her hands on her hips. “I'm to
tell the caller a skunk in a trap wasn't the kind of emergency the
center handles. Both of you check your phones, please.”
“Hal, my phone is upstairs. I haven't touched
it for a long time,” Nora declared.
Tootie snatched up her phone from the floor
and checked it. “Uh oh!” Tootie eased the phone to her ear.
Quickly, she shut it off. “Someone was laughing on the other
end.”
“Aunt Tootie!” Hal screeched.
“I'm sorry, Hal. I didn't know when the phone
fell it speed dialed itself nine one one,” Aunt Tootie said
sheepishly.
Hal turned to face John. “John, about the
skunk.”
“Oh no, I cannot take care of the skunk. I
have to milk, and the cows will not come in the milk room if I
smell like skunk,” John said.
“Dad?”
“It's daylight now. I have to help John
milk,” Jim said, lining up with John and the boys.
“All of you are cowards. Fine, I will empty
the trap. First, I have to change into some old clothes.”
“You can use a pair of my old trousers and a
shirt,” John offered.
“That's generous of you,” Nora said
dryly.
John shrugged as he grinned at her. He headed
for the barn with Jim following him.
Hal rushed from the room. She came back in a
few minutes in one of John's blue work shirts and black trousers.
She'd put on her oldest black bonnet over her prayer cap to cover
her hair. A black work hanky covered her nose and mouth. A pair of
yellow chore gloves protected her hands. She held up John's
twenty-two rifle. “Wish me luck, ladies.”
“You should find something to throw over the
trap to keep the skunk from pewing you. The stink will get on you
bad enough from just handling the trap and being near that animal,”
Nora said.
“Sure enough. I'll get an old sheet out of
the rag basket.” Hal rushed off and came back carrying a folded
sheet. She leaned the rifle against the wall and unfolded the sheet
just enough to cover the trap. “Now I'm ready. Pray for me.”
Aunt Tootie cried, “We will, dear.”
Hal took a deep breath and walked
outside.
Nora and Aunt Tootie rushed to the clinic
window to watch. Hal threw the sheet over the side of the porch.
She eased over to look down at the trap. With a grim expression,
she looked at her mother and aunt. “I've got the trap covered.”
Hal walked down the steps and along the
porch, She felt for the middle of the live trap and eased the
handle upright to lifted it. The trap felt light. The skunk sure
didn't weigh much.
Now where should she take the trap? Maybe to
the edge of the hay field. She'd shoot the skunk and dump the body
in the gully.
Hal tried not to take more than small gasps
as she hurried along the lane. From the pasture drifted the bleats
of her sheep flock, wanting her attention. This was no time to stop
and inspected the ewes and buck like she usually would.
Somewhere she'd heard or read a skunk has to
brace his feet to pew. She surely didn't have to worry about that
with him off balance until she set the trap down.
When Hal reached the edge of the alfalfa, she
looked around. The day was going to be a nice one. Why did this old
skunk have to ruin it?
Hal eased the trap to the ground. She grabbed
a
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