494 AUDUBON 



not in the least." Off we start again. The boys had got 

 up with the dogs, which were baying a Raccoon in a small 

 puddle. We soon joined them with the light. " Now, 

 stranger, watch and see ! " The Raccoon was all but 

 swimming, and yet had hold of the bottom of the pool 

 with his feet. The glare of the lighted torch was doubt- 

 less distressing to him; his coat was ruffled, and his 

 rounded tail seemed thrice its ordinary size; his eyes 

 shone like emeralds; with foaming jaws he watched the 

 dogs, ready to seize each by the snout if it came within 

 reach. They kept him busy for several minutes; the 

 water became thick with mud ; his coat now bung drip- 

 ping, and his draggled tail lay floating on the surface. 

 His guttural growlings, in place of intimidating his as- 

 sailants excited them the more; and they very uncere- 

 moniously closed upon him, curs as they were, and 

 without the breeding of gentle dogs. One seized him by 

 the rump, and tugged, but was soon forced to let go ; an- 

 other stuck to his side, but soon taking a better directed 

 bite of his muzzle than another dog had just done of his 

 tail, Coon made him yelp; and pitiful were the cries of 

 luckless Tyke. The Raccoon would not let go, but in the 

 mean time the other dogs seized him fast, and worried him 

 to death, yet to the last he held by his antagonist's snout. 

 Knocked on the head by an axe, he lay gasping his last 

 breath, and the heaving of his chest was painful to see. 

 The hunters stood gazing at him in the pool, while all 

 around was by the flare of the torch rendered trebly dark 

 and dismal. It was a good scene for a skilful painter. 



We had now two Coons, whose furs were worth two 

 quarters of a dollar, and whose bodies, which I must not 

 forget, as Toby informed us, were worth two more. 

 "What now.? " I asked. "What now.? " quoth the father; 

 "why, go after more, to be sure." So we did, the dogs 

 ahead, and I far behind. In a short time the curs treed 

 another, and when we came up, we found them seated on 



