The cousin again looked at him a long time, like one in a trance.  Then, without any silly talk, he went over to the barn and handed Lew Wee a bran sack.

Lew Wee said that was just the thing; and would the cousin come over and help him in case the animal would be timid and not want to go in the sack?  The cousin said he would not.  And he didn’t go back to the artichokes.  He went to a bed of cauliflower clear at the other end of the garden, after giving Lew Wee another of them long “Can happen!” looks, which signify that we live in a strange and terrible world.

Lew Wee went back alone to his prize, finding it still calm, like a gentleman in his club.  He reassured it with some more cheerful words.  He had a thought right then, he says; kind of a sudden fear.  He had been told the first day by his cousin, and also by his great friend Doctor Hong Foy, that the skunk gave out a strong scent disagreeable to many people.  But this one he’d caught didn’t have any scent of any kind.  So mebbe that meant it wasn’t in good condition and Doctor Hong Foy wouldn’t wish it for twenty-five dollars.  However, it was sure a skunk, and looked strong and healthy and worth taking in to the doctor, who could then tell about its condition.

Lew Wee opened the neck of the bag, laid it on the ground close by him, got down on his knees, and carefully raised one side of the coop.  The wild animal looked more beautiful than ever; and it didn’t seem alarmed, but just the tiniest mite suspicious.  It must of looked like it was saying it was entirely willing to be friendly, but you couldn’t ever tell about these Chinamen.  Lew Wee reached a hand slowly over toward it and it moved against the back of the coop, very watchful.  Then Lew Wee made a quick grab and caught the back of its neck neatly.

Of course this showed at once that a Chinaman wasn’t to be trusted, and Lew Wee says it put up a fierce fight, being so quick and muscular as to surprise him.  He was fully engaged for at least thirty seconds; the animal clawed and squirmed and twisted, and it bit in the clinches and almost got away.  He was breathing hard when he finally got his wild animal into the sack and the neck tied.

He says he didn’t actually realize until then, what with all the excitement, that something had gone kind of wrong.  He was not only breathing hard but it was hard breathing.  He says he felt awful good at that moment.  He had been afraid his animal might not be in good condition, but it undoubtedly was.  He thought right off that if one in just ordinary good condition was worth twenty-five dollars to Doctor Hong Foy, then this one might be worth as much as thirty-five, or even forty.  He thought it must be the best wild animal of that kind in the world.

So he picked up the sack, with his prize squirming and swearing inside, and threw it over his shoulder and started back to the country club.  He stopped a minute to thank his cousin once more; but his cousin seen him coming and run swiftly off in a strange manner, as if not wishing to be thanked again.  Then Lew Wee went on across a field and over the golf links.  His idea was to take the little animal to his room in the clubhouse and keep it there until night, when he could take it into town and get all that money for it.  He was quite happy and wished he hadn’t scared the poor thing so.