THE SNOW-WALKERS 



tience that we were so tardy in coming to his assist- 

 ance. Arrived on the spot, we saw in the tree a 

 coon of unusual size. One bold climber proposed 

 to go up and shake him down. This was what old 

 Cuff wanted, and he fairly bounded with delight 

 as he saw his young master shinning up the tree. 

 Approaching within eight or ten feet of the coon, 

 he seized the branch to which it clung and shook 

 long and fiercely. But the coon was in no danger 

 of losing its hold, and, when the climber paused to 

 renew his hold, it turned toward him with a growl, 

 and showed very clearly a purpose to advance to the 

 attack. This caused his pursuer to descend to the 

 ground with all speed. When the coon was finally 

 brought down with a gun, he fought the dog, which 

 was a large, powerful animal, with great fury, re- 

 turning bite for bite for some moments; and after 

 a quarter of an hour had elapsed and his unequal 

 antagonist had shaken him as a terrier does a rat, 

 making his teeth meet through the small of his 

 back, the coon still showed fight. 



They are very tenacious of life, and like the 

 badger will always whip a dog of their own size and 

 weight. A woodchuck can bite severely, having 

 teeth that cut like chisels, but a coon has agility 

 and power of limb as well. 



They are considered game only in the fall, or 

 towards the close of summer, when they become fat 

 and their flesh sweet. At this time, cooning in the 

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