IN THE CATSKILLS 



remote interior is a famous pastime. As this animal 

 is entirely nocturnal in its habits, it is hunted only 

 at night. A piece of corn on some remote side-hill 

 near the mountain, or between two pieces of woods, 

 is most apt to be frequented by them. While the 

 corn is yet green they pull the ears down like hogs, 

 and, tearing open the sheathing of husks, eat the 

 tender, succulent kernels, bruising and destroying 

 much more than they devour. Sometimes their 

 ravages are a matter of serious concern to the farmer. 

 But every such neighborhood has its coon-dog, and 

 the boys and young men dearly love the sport. 

 The party sets out about eight or nine o'clock of a 

 dark, moonless night, and stealthily approaches the 

 cornfield. The dog knows his business, and when 

 he is put into a patch of corn and told to " hunt them 

 up" he makes a thorough search, and will not be 

 misled by any other scent. You hear him rattling 

 through the corn, hither and yon, with great speed. 

 The coons prick up their ears, and leave on the 

 opposite side of the field. In the stillness you may 

 sometimes hear a single stone rattle on the wall as 

 they hurry toward the woods. If the dog finds 

 nothing, he comes back to his master in a short time, 

 and says in his dumb way, " No coon there." But 

 if he strikes a trail, you presently hear a louder rat- 

 tling on the stone wall, and then a hurried bark as 

 he enters the woods, followed in a few minutes by 

 loud and repeated barking as he reaches the foot of 

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