4 8 



Up to that moment none of us had sus- 



pected that there was a second coon any- 

 Jijiffle Brother w here near. He had remained hidden and 



70 The *^B 



safe in the tree-top through all the uproar, 

 until what seemed plainly a call for help 

 came, when he threw all thought of self aside 

 and came down like a hero. 



We had not half realized all this when 

 the little fellow threw himself upon the dog 

 that held the first coon's neck and crushed a 

 paw with a single grip of his powerful jaws. 

 Then the bigger coon \vas on his feet again 

 fighting feebly. But a curious change had 

 come over the hunt. I had jumped forward 

 to interfere at the unexpected heroism, but 

 had drawn back at the thought that I was 

 only a guest, and there by courtesy. Near 

 me stood a big hunter, an owner of some of 

 the dogs, whose face was twitching strangely 

 in the firelight. He started for the fight 

 swinging a club, then drew back ashamed 

 to show any \veak sentiment in a coon hunt. 

 "Save him," I whispered in his ear, "the 

 little fellow deserves his life " ; and again he 

 jumped forward. " Drag off the dogs ! " he 



