178 KIVERBY 



The creature skipped to the other corner of the door- 

 way, hitting my hand with its cold, rope-like tail. 

 Lighting a match, I had a glimpse of him sitting 

 up on his haunches like a woodchuck, confronting 

 his enemies. I rushed in for the lantern, with the 

 hope of capturing him alive, but before I returned 

 the dogs, growing bold, had finished him. 



I have had but one call from a coon, that I am 

 aware of, and I fear we did not treat him with due 

 hospitality. He took up his quarters for the day 

 in a Norway spruce, the branches of which nearly 

 brushed the house. I had noticed that the dog was 

 very curious about that tree all the forenoon. After 

 dinner his curiosity culminated in repeated loud and 

 confident barking. Then I began an investigation, 

 expecting to find a strange cat, or at most a red 

 squirrel. But a moment's scrutiny revealed his 

 coonship. Then how to capture him became the 

 problem. A long pole was procured, and I sought 

 to dislodge him from his hold. The skill with 

 which he maintained himself amid the branches ex- 

 cited our admiration. But after a time he dropped 

 lightly to the ground, not in the least disconcerted, 

 and at once on his guard against both man and 

 beast. The dog was a coward, and dared not face 

 him. When the coon's attention was diverted, the 

 dog would rush in; then one of us would attempt 

 to seize the coon's tail, but he faced about so quickly, 

 his black eyes gleaming, that the hand was timid 

 about seizing him. But finally in his skirmishing 

 with the dog I caught him by the tail, and bore him 



