CATCHING MY FIRST RACCOON 

 frightened would be putting it in a very mild 

 form. We had nothing to kill the raccoon 

 with, and would probably not have done so had 

 we something with which to do it. Ay sister hav- 

 ing more courage than I, stayed and watched 

 the coon whilst I ran back home for mother- 

 father was away tending to his traps to come 

 and help kill the coon. With two big clubs my 

 mother and 1 soon had Ar. Coon's earthly career 

 ended. It has been more than a half century 

 ago since this happened. I have hunted and 

 trapped some big game since that time, but never 

 became quite so excited as on the morning 

 when I caught the first raccon. 



The scene that morning will be forever photo- 

 graphed on the tablets of my memory. It was 

 at this place I lived when 1 began my early hunt- 

 ing, commencing to realize the pleasure it af- 

 forded me. But of course I had no idea of the 

 hardships which existed in it. We resided here 

 about two years and a half. In the meantime 

 my father bought the Bissel stock, consisting of 



13 



