ALONG THE HILLSBOEOUGH. 95 



fare that one saw now and then a group 

 of cavaliers strolling about under broad- 

 brimmed hats, with big spurs at their heels, 

 accosting passers-by with hearty familiarity, 

 first names and hand-shakes, while their 

 horses stood hitched to the branches of road- 

 side trees, a typical Southern picture. 

 Here, on a Sunday afternoon, were two 

 young fellows who had brought to town a 

 mother coon and three young ones, hoping 

 to find a purchaser. The guests at the 

 hotels manifested no eagerness for such 

 pets, but the colored bell-boys and waiters 

 gathered about, and after a little good-hu- 

 mored dickering bought the entire lot, box 

 and all, for a dollar and a half ; first having 

 pulled the little ones out between the slats 

 not without some risk to both parties 

 to look at them and pass them round. The 

 venders walked off with grins of ill-concealed 

 triumph. The Fates had been kind to them, 

 and they had three silver half-dollars in their 

 pockets. I heard one of them say something 

 about giving part of the money to a third 

 man who had told them where the nest was ; 

 but his companion would listen to no such 

 folly. "He wouldn't come with us," he 



