168 Old Bays on the Farm 



other one clawed my ear an' cheek as it was fallin'. 

 Me and my partner, the dog, was real busy for a 

 second or two an' we hadn't time to catch our 

 breath when Joe shook down two more o ' the com 

 thieves right a-top of us. 



" 'Here, you Joe,' I shouted, 'let up on that 

 shakin' for a minute or two or I'll quit the job.' 

 But I hadn't any intention o' quittin'. 



** 'Shakin' 'em a little too quick for you, am 

 I?' called back Joe. Joe had it in for me an' 

 knowin' that he had me in a tight place he was 

 tryin' to pay off an old score. He knew I'd work 

 myself useless before I'd let one o' them 'coons 

 get away. It would have been a serious reflection 

 on me if I had. 



SHOOK 'em down like habvest apples 



**It was like this : Joe an' me had been out get- 

 tin' harvest apples a few nights before an', as 

 usual, when we was huntin' things, Joe did the 

 climbin'. Before he got down from the tree I 

 had gathered up rather more'n my share o' the 

 apples an' Joe was a little peeved. Now, he 

 thought, he'd get even by buryin' me in a pile o' 

 'coons. 



'*I was kind o' riled an' just sung out, *0h, let 

 'em come, Joe, I guess we can handle 'em as fast 

 as you can git 'em here.' Down they came, two 

 at a clip. Talk about 'coon killin' — ^me an' that 

 old dog certainly made some smart moves. 



