SATAN THE RACCOON 



utes later I heard several war-whoops, and I 

 saw my friend tumble out of the cabin into 

 the door-yard. " Are you awake? " cried he. 

 " Certainly," I answered, " you don't think 

 there is any one asleep in this county after the 

 racket you have made, do you ? " " Oh, let up 

 with your fooling," said he, " this is a serious 

 thing. I sleep with my mouth open ; suppose 

 one of those mice had run down my throat 

 and choked me to death? I am going home." 

 And home he did go. I accompanied him 

 through the woods to Western Avenue, and 

 returned in time to get three hours' sleep. 

 My friend was like hundreds of other ner- 

 vous people that I had known in a lifetime, 

 who were too sensitive to enjoy a night in 

 the open air. To be in full accord with 

 nature one should get accustomed to the pres- 

 ence of a snake now and then, in the open-air 

 bed. 



Satan was an apt scholar. I taught him 

 to pull in his chain, hand over hand, sailor- 

 fashion. The chain was twelve feet in length. 

 I begun by tying on a nut about two feet 

 37 



