The '' 'Coon Hunters' '' Club 161 



had gathered in three fine fellows and were just 

 thinkin' of headin' for home when old Sport set 

 up a monstrous howlin' at the foot of a tree over- 

 hangin' the creek. The leaves were pretty thick 

 on the trees and, although we went round and 

 round and eyed every limb for a dark spot in the 

 branches, we couldn't see Mr. 'Coon anywhere. 



'* 'Guess it's a case of climb,' said your Uncle 

 Jim and up the tree he went, leavin' me and old 

 Sport to handle the 'coon which he expected to 

 shake off a limb. 



**Jim climbed and climbed and after a lot of 

 lookin' about got his eye on an animal away out 

 on a limb overhangin' the creek. He shook and 

 shook the limb, but the critter wouldn't let go and 

 Jim crept out farther so he could put more power 

 into the shake. 



** *Say, Joe,' he called down to me, 'this crit- 

 ter's got fiery eyes and looks as if it wanted to 

 fight.' He hadn't no more'n got out the words 

 when there was a screech that made my blood run 

 cold and a snappin' and a crashin' of branches 

 followed quick. Somethin' fell with a splash into 

 the creek — it was Jim and the animal — they came 

 down together an' both a-yellin' fit to split. There 

 was four or five feet of water just below that tree 

 an' you'd a-thought a hundred horse-power tur- 

 bine was revolvin' in it for a few seconds. Old 

 Sport was spellbound an' I was scared till my hair 

 stood on end. Before we recovered Jim came 

 sloshin' through the water to the bank an' out on 



