Toung Hunters 



or climbed up his trousers, he would say, while 

 patting its head as if it were a dog or a child, 

 "Coonie, ma mamiie, Coonie, ma mannie, hoc 

 are ye the day? I think you're hungry," — as 

 the comical pet began to examine his pockets 

 for nuts and bits of bread, — "Na, na, there's 

 nathing in my pooch for ye the day, my wee 

 mannie, but I '11 get ye something." He would 

 then fetch something it liked, — bread, nuts, a 

 carrot, or perhaps a piece of fresh meat. Any- 

 thing scattered for it on the floor it felt with 

 its paw instead of looking at it, judging of its 

 worth more by touch than sight. 



The outlet of our Fountain Lake flowed past 

 Mr. McRath's door, and the coon was very 

 fond of swimming in it and searching for frogs 

 and mussels. It seemed perfectly satisfied to 

 stay about the house without being confined, 

 occupied a comfortable bed in a section of a 

 hollow tree, and never wandered far. How long 

 it lived after the death of its kind master I 

 don't know. 



I suppose that almost any wild animal may 

 [ 185] 



