CHAPTER XII 



The Champion 'Coon Huntee's Stoby 



**T 'VE got a 'coon-hunting yarn that maybe you 

 ■'• youngsters could stand to hear," a pioneer 

 announced by our kitchen fire one winter evening. 

 *'An' I want to tell you," he continued, ''that 

 there ain't anybody, unless he's as old or older 'n 

 me, that knows any more 'bout them ring-tailed 

 corn thieves than me, either. 'Coon huntin' them 

 times, was worth stayin' out o' nights for." 



''Good old times, weren't they, away back in 

 the woods," one of our number said, by way of 

 encouragement, and in keen anticipation of a 

 'coon-hunting story at first-hand. The veteran of 

 pioneer life straightened up under his load of 

 eighty years and lighting his pipe proceeded thus 

 to make history. 



WHEN 'coons were PLENTITUIi 



"Good old times, boy, yer jest right they were. 

 I can remember as if it was yesterday when my 

 brother Joe, that's dead an' gone, an' me, one 

 fall catched eighty-seven 'coons an' right in our 

 township, too. 



"Eighty-seven, yes, that's what I said. We cut 



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