RACOON HUNT IN KENTUCKY. 237 



us a trick, have you. It's all well enovigh, but now, just keep behind, 



or I'll"" and in fact, the boys, with eyes good enough to see in the 



dark, although not quite so well as an Owl's, had cut directly across the 

 dogs, which had surprised a racoon on the grovind and bayed it, until the 

 lads knocked it on the head. " Seek him, boys," cries the hunter. — The 

 dogs, putting their noses to the ground, pushed off at a good rate. 

 " Master, they're making for the creek," says old Toby. On towards it 

 therefore we push. What woods, to be sure ! No gentleman's park this, 

 I assure you. Reader. We are now in a low flat ; the soil thinly covers 

 the hard clay ; nothing but beech trees hereabouts, unless now and then 

 a maple. Hang the limbs ! say I — hang the supple-jacks too — here I 

 am, fast by the neck — cut it with your knife. My knee has had a tre- 

 mendous rub against a log — now, my foot is jammed between two roots 

 — and here 1 stick. " Toby, come back — don't you know the stranger 

 is not up to the woods. Halloo, Toby, Toby !" There I stood perfectly 

 shackled, the hunter laughing heartily, and the lads glad of an opportu- 

 nity of slipping off. Toby arrived, and held the torch near the ground, on 

 which the hunter cutting one of the roots with his hatchet, set me free. 

 " Are you hurt, Sir .?"— no, not in the least. Off we start again. The 

 boys had got up with the dogs, which were baying a Racoon in a small 

 puddle. We soon joined them with the light. " Now, stranger ! watch and 

 see !" The Racoon was all but swimming, and yet had hold of the bottom 

 of the pool with his feet. The glare of the hghted torch was doubtless 

 distressing to him ; his coat was ruffled, and his rounded tail seemed 

 thrice its ordinary size, his eyes shone like emeralds ; with foaming jaws 

 he watched the dogs, ready to seize each by the snout if it came within 

 reach. They kept him busy for several minutes ; the water became thick 

 with mud ; his coat now hung dripping, and his draggled tail lay floating 

 on the surface. His guttural growlings, in place of intimidating his as- 

 sailants, excited them the more ; and they very unceremoniously closed 

 upon him, curs as they were, and without the breeding of gentle dogs ! 

 One seized him by the rump and tugged, but was soon foixed to let go ; 

 another stuck to his side, but soon taking a better directed bite of his 

 muzzle than another dog had just done of his tail, coon made him yelp ; 

 and pitiful were the cries of luckless Tyke. The Racoon would not 

 let go, but in the mean time the other dogs seized him fast, and worried 

 him to death, yet to the last he held by his antagonist's snout. Knocked 

 on the head by an axe, he lay gasping liis last breath, and the heaving 



