Clarence Skunker Thurston

Clarence "Skunker" Thurston is Alex Larson's best friend and the tritagonist of the 1991 film White Fang.

Role in the Film
After Jack gets robbed by Beauty Smith, he finds Alex and his companion, Skunker, at the top of the golden staircase. He introduces himself as the son of Scott Conroy, who died a year earlier, leaving behind a claim. Although Alex and Scott were close friends, the former doubts there is gold in the claim and advises Jack to go home. However, Skunker takes a liking to the boy and persuades Alex to bring him as far as Klondike City, Alaska, after they bury their dead comrade, Dutch.

A pack of hungry wolves follow the expedition through the wilderness, hoping to feed on the sled dogs. A female wolf named Kiche infiltrates the dogs while they are being fed and escapes with a fish, which she feeds to her cub. As the expedition resumes the next day, the sled falls over an embankment, spilling Dutch’s corpse onto a frozen lake. Despite warnings from Skunker, Jack ventures onto the lake to retrieve a box of ammunition and falls through the ice. Dutch’s corpse falls in as well, supplying Jack with a buoy to help him reach the surface. By nightfall, wolves surround the prospectors’ camp and Kiche approaches, attracting Digger, the lead sled dog. Skunker realizes she is a “part dog” decoy luring his animals to the wolf pack. He shoots Kiche and runs to Digger’s rescue, but is killed by the pack.