The " 'Coon Hunters' •" Cluh 157 



hour, they had a heated discussion. Some held 

 they were in one township, some in another. 



"Where's that there North Star? Find that, 

 boys, and I'll straighten this thing out," said 

 the Chief, and he pulled from his pocket a com- 

 pass. 



"Say, is this a Peary or a Doc. Cook that's 

 leadin' us ? " asked Si Beattie. ' ' First time I ever 

 went huntin' 'coons with a compass." 



At this juncture there was a rustling in the 

 weeds by the roadside and in came the lost 'coon 

 hunter. He was wet with dew to his knees and 

 carried more burrs than a yearling colt that had 

 run wild in some back pasture field all summer. 



* "I've walked until I'm nearly dead, 

 A weary, weary distance, 

 I beg of you, kind sirs," said the wanderer, 

 "A trifle of assistance." 



"Here," said the President, "cut out that 

 Father Tuck nursery rhyming. Help him up on 

 the milkstand, boys, and let's hear his story." 



After the worn and weary one had somewhat 

 recovered he gave the Club members a spiel about 

 his adventures that made Teddy Roosevelt's two- 

 volume story, "Hunting Big Game in Africa," 

 look like thirty cents. In the language of the story 

 books he went on and on, he had seen heartie 

 beasts and b'ars, griffins, goblins and sheep. 



"What about 'coons?" asked the President, who 

 had been getting uneasy at the length of the recital. 



