THE RACCOON 97 



of the field. In the stillness you may sometimes 

 hear a single stone rattle on the wall as they 

 hurry toward the woods. If the dog finds no- 

 thin sf he comes back to his master in a short 

 time, and says in his dumb way, " No coon 

 there." But if he strikes a trail you presently 

 hear a louder rattling on the stone wall, and 

 then a hurried bark as he enters the woods, 

 succeeded in a few minutes by loud and re- 

 peated barkings as he reaches the foot of the 

 tree in which the coon has taken refuge. Then 

 follows a pellmell rush as the cooning party dash 

 up the hill, into the woods, through the brush and 

 the darkness, falling over prostrate trees, pitch- 

 ing into gullies and hollows, losing hats and 

 tearing clothes, till finally, guided by the baying 

 of the faithful dog, they reach the tree. The 

 first thing now in order is to kindle a fire, and, 

 if its light reveals the coon, to shoot him ; if not, 

 to feU the tree with an axe, unless this last expe- 

 dient happens to be too great a sacrifice of timber 

 and of strength, in which case it is necessary 

 to sit down at the foot of the tree and wait till 

 morning. 



