"TKEEING" A COON. 297 



our rifles for he had the animal "treed," and ready to 

 be brought down at "a moment's warning." We went 

 over to where he was, and sure enough, away up in the 

 top of a tall birch, sat his coonship, looking quietly down 

 upon the dogs that were baying at the foot of the tree. 



" Gentlemen," said Spalding, " we will not all fire at 

 this animal as we did at Smith's bear. One bullet is 

 enough for him, and if he gets down among us, I think 

 six men will be a match for one 'coon,' so we need not 

 be inhuman through a sense of danger. Whose shot shall 

 he be ?" 



" I move that Spalding have the first shot," said Smith ; 

 and the motion was carried. 



"Do I understand you, gentlemen," Spalding inquired, 

 adjusting himself, as if preparing to bring down the game, 

 "that I am to have this first shot, and that no one is 

 to fire until I have taken a fair shot at him ?" 



We all answered, " Yes." 



"Are you perfectly agreed in this, and do you all 

 pledge yourselves to abide the compact ?" Spalding inquired 

 again, bringing his rifle to a present, and looking up at the 

 game. 



" All agreed," we answered, with one voice. 



"Very well, gentlemen," said Spalding, shouldering his 

 rifle, " there's one life saved anyhow. That animal up there 

 has been in great peril, but he's safe now. I don't intend 

 to fire at him sooner than ten o'clock to-morrow, and if 



