io4 



RECREATION. 



was only one opening to the burrow. Had 

 he been at home he would have had sev- 

 eral exits to his house. 



The badger lives on much the same 

 food as the coon. When pursued to their 

 burrows, they dive and fill the hole up be 

 hind them by kicking the dirt backward. 

 This is done so rapidly that the dogs, hot 

 on trail, sometimes find the door closed in- 

 hospitably in their faces. Badgers weigh, 

 full grown, 28 to 32 pounds. 



the worst of it, I seized a moment when 

 the combatants were separated and shot 

 the cat. Nero brought off several ugly 

 wounds, but did not seem to feel them in 

 his glory of the victory. 



Bob weighed 38 pounds. 



In an effort to get a suitable companion 

 for brave Nero, 1 brought on myself a 

 hunter's sorrow. I got a puppy, a cross 

 between a Newfoundland and a bull. One 

 dark night, when hunting down the river, 



AFTER A FIERCE FIGHT, NERO FINISHED HIM. 



Nero once treed a wildcat. Hard 

 pressed, it had taken refuge in a hollow 

 tree and its head could be seen through 

 the opening. Nero stood guard around 

 the hole. The greyhound stood around 

 watching. I threw clods to scare the cat 

 out. Finally it rushed out, and then the 

 fur flew. Nero rushed right on, and pres- 

 ently the cat sprang on the dog's' back 

 and tried to tear his eyes out. 



Nero rolled over and the cat changed to 

 a breast hold, trying to disembowel the 

 dog. Finally, in fear the dog would get 



the pup being along, we treed coons, we 

 believed, in a leaning: tree on the bank. 

 The dogs were making a fearful racket, 

 and when we got to the ground I could 

 see the gleam of eyes on a limb 15 feet 

 from the ground. 



Calling the boys out of the way, I shot 

 and the owner of the eyes fell. Lighting a 

 match. I bent over my poor young dog! 



There were coons in the tree, but my 

 heart was too heavy to hunt farther. We 

 left the game and went home saddened and 

 silent. 



First Church Member : I .would weed 

 every heretic out of the church. 



Second Church Member : Oh, I think 

 you are too radical. Why, some of the 

 best church member'} I know are heretics. 



