Deo. 14, 1895. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



519 



ward, woven and interwoven to an apparent impenetrable 

 thicket. Into this thicket Tiger had made his way, and 

 was loudly sounding tbe news at high key; and across the 

 pasture by a footpath we were hurrying along straight to 

 the brook, which we heard murmuring in front of us. 

 Here we bitched the gray and prepared for active service. 

 The campaign had actually opened. The dog, hearing us 

 so near, stopped barking, and we had to wait in silence 

 for several minutes, when again the sound came forth just 

 in front of us and only a short distance in the thicket. 

 Having taken a careful bearing we made a bee line across 

 the brook, and climbed the. bank on our hands and knees 

 over the slippery, spongy soil, to where we found Tiger in 

 high spirits, his head pointed up the body of the largest 

 tree near us, his forefeet resting on a limb and his body 

 supported by bis hindfeet, which rested in the mud. In 

 this position Tiger exhausted his knowledge of climbing, 

 and tbe only thtng which prevented him from going to 

 the top of that tree before we arrived was the fact that it 

 was a race impossibility, he not being "built that way." 



What seemed to us on the road as being dark had sud- 

 denly changed to greater darkness among the hemlocks, 

 and a more uncomfortable night for discerning objects 

 could scarcely be selected. 



After vain effort to gain any point of observation from 

 the ground, it was decided for me toclimbthe tree, which 

 I found to be but tbe work of a few moments, as the 

 limbs were thick on every side of the tree. After getting 

 well up toward the top, where the limbs were surprisingly 

 slender, the Squire concluded to interview me, and lead 

 off with "Hadn't you best cut you a gad to punch him off 

 with? Do you see him? Where is he? Where will he 

 fall?" etc, without giving me breath or time to answer, 

 when by mistake I missed a limb and caused the slender 

 top of the tree to wave, which revealed to my gaze the 

 coveted animal just above my head, and then for the first 

 time I attempted to forward my answers to the Squire's in- 

 terrogatories. 



This being all satisfactory, the Squire said "All right, 

 come down, and we will make a little preparation, and I 

 will provide you with a gad." I did so and received the 

 gad from the Squire, sharpened at one end in the most 

 approved style, together with a fist full of gravel to be 

 dropped at the point where tbe coon was to land after 

 being punched to my satisfaction with the gad, that 

 Tiger and his master might be in an advantageous posi- 

 tion to make his short stay very uncomfortable upon 

 landing on our shore. 



With the parting salute from the Squire, "Look well to 

 your footing and don't touch him until you have located 

 Tige and me, and then give it to him," I left the Squire 

 and wound myself and the gad spirally among the 

 branches to my first position near the top of the tree; but 

 not being able to see the animal as before, I ventured a 

 few limbs above, when I managed to get another and a 

 better view of the big black bunch above me and only 

 8 or 10ft. away, but where the size of the limbs decreased 

 fast. 



Upon examination of my footing, I dropped my first 

 pebble to let the Squire know I was all right, and followed 

 it up with a second and third, after which I received 

 assurance all was "in readiness," and I began to critically 

 examine the object above as to what part of his anatomy 

 I should bestow my efforts on, when it suddenly occurred 

 to me that there were several pairs of eyes, and upon fur- 

 ther examination I located four eyes, which seemed too 

 many for one coon; and that tail, that is a coon's tail; 

 and now it seems I can see better— yes, there are two tails! 

 Oh yes, that accounts for it — two tails, four eyes; those are 

 two coons. Having unraveled this much I reported to 

 the Squire (after retreating a limb or two to a more 

 secure place), who advised "a careful inspection before 

 beginning, and then if one can be knocked out and leave 

 the other there send him down." 



I carefully moved upward to my former position to 

 carry out the wishes of the Squire and if possible secure 

 the two coons; so, selecting the best position at my com- 

 mand, I sought out the weakest point for attack, and to my 

 surprise the number of tails had increased to three, plainly 

 visible with the aid of a very uncertain light. This was 

 "a poser." Having made this discovery, I hesitated about 

 opening so large a pot to one dog, and quietly descended 

 to the ground for further parley with the Squire, who 

 seemed not a little impatient at the slow way I was doing 

 business; but after the situation was fully understood 

 the Squire proposed that we light up the lantern and 

 make ourselves as comfortable as possible and await the 

 coming of daylight, which he calculated would be due 

 in about two to two and one-half hours— if the fog lifted. 



"It is like this," he said, "if we should knock two or 

 three coons to tbe ground at once we would loose some 

 if not all of them: but if we wait until light then we can 

 shoot 'em with prospects of getting all of 'em. At any 

 rate, we can better attend to their cases. Now you just 

 get a dry place and I will hang the lamp on a twig, and 

 Tige and me will put in for a little rest right here." 



This counsel prevailed, and after a half hour of rest on 

 a rough stone near the foot of the tree I concluded to 

 make another ascent and see how things were getting on 

 during my absence, as Tiger had already taken his seat 

 at the body of the tree and showed considerable anxiety 

 about things above, and without doubt thinking we were 

 taking things too easy; so, smoothing his noble head, I 

 crawled partly over him and commenced my winding 

 ascent, but when only about one-half way up I beard 

 something scratching along on the darkened side of the 

 tree just above me, and soon by the aid of the reflected 

 light below I was able to see the retreating forms of coons 

 going my way toward the top of the tree, and being able 

 to confirm my previous estimate as to number, and in this 

 order tbe procession proceeded until we reached about 

 our former position, but finding the limbs quite too small 

 for a comfortable seat, I returned a short distance and 

 perched upon the first respectable-siz^d limb, and from 

 here reported to tbe Squire the condition of things, but 

 I did not receive any response. Here, then, I determined 

 to await the coming of light. 



To describe either my mental anxiety or my physical 

 suffering as I sat there alone would fill several pages. The 

 only sound that greeted my ears as I was there roosting 

 between coons and earth was the occasional crowing of 

 some comfortable rooster at his home, the barking of 

 some pet dog and the deep and regular snoring of the 

 Squire, who had sprawled himself on as many boughs of 

 the hemlocks as were available to serve as couch to his 

 tired limbs, where sleep had claimed him for a time. 



But .here my duties were multiplying with my reveries. 



The family above were anxious to go down, and it became 

 my duty to escort them back to the top of the tree several 

 times, and the intervals of these trips were growing 

 shorter and shorter, until I found it necessary to roost a 

 peg higher, but where the comforts of a good limb had to 

 be dispensed with. At length by presuming a little I 

 fancied it growing a little lighter, and the cocks and the 

 dogs were being heard from in many directions, which, 

 after mature thought and considerable deliberation, in- 

 duced me to return to the ground and attempt the rather 

 difficult task of awaking the Squire. It was a job — he 

 held on to his part well, but I succeeded in arousing him 

 and gave him my latest experience, which I concluded 

 with a request that we shoot those animals as early ss 

 convenient. 



The Squire moved but slowly at first, but after hearing 

 about one-half I had said guessed it was best, and pro- 

 ceeded to rub his eyes and kick out sundry cross-cut kinks 

 in his nearly benumbed limbs, when suddenly coming to 

 he revealed the truth, "I declare, I think I fell asleep." 

 Then consulting the bull's-eye watch in his hand by the 

 dim light of the nearly extinct lantern, he declared "it 

 ought to be getting a little light, and we must be on the 

 sharp lookout for our game." 



Just here Tiger got excited and tried all sides of the 

 tree and growled, while the Squire put in a fresh candle 

 and opened the door of the lantern, throwing the full 

 rays of one candle power of fight up the tree and closely 

 squinting up after it; when for the first time he got a view 

 of the family I had stood guard over for so many anxious 

 moments. 



As soon as the light struck them they had hastily com- 

 menced an upward movement which was quite familiar 

 to me, and possibly expecting feat the Squire would 

 follow them as I had been doing, or possibly somewhat 

 confused, they had mistaken the Squire for me and were 

 afraid of the transformation scene below. At this new 

 experience the Squire continued to kick out the remain- 

 ing portion of kinks first from one leg and then from the 

 other, remarking by way of accompaniment, "Now you 

 had better go up after that lot, and if light enough you 

 had better take the gun with you, a part of the way at 

 least, and stay by those fellows, for it looks to me as 

 though they wanted to come down (a fact long before 

 known to me), and if you can't keep 'em up, let 'em have 

 it from the gun all in a bunch, and between you, the 

 gun and Tige and me, we stand a good show for some 

 coon meat, but understand, it is only if you fail to keep 

 them up to the top." 



This I thought well of, as it would be a prize shot for 

 an amateur to kill three coons at once, and with this idea 

 in my mind I took the run and climbed the tree again, 

 with a firm determination to empty chat gun at them if 

 they proved in the least disobedient to my orders to keep 

 quiet; and I speculated as to about the probable distance 

 that charge would land me should I lose my grip on the 

 hemlock, but at no place could I see the animals in good 

 position to carry out my plans under circumstances that 

 would permit me to trust that gun to my shoulder. Tbe 

 limbs were small, the footing bad, the gun too long for 

 the brush; so after due consideration I secured the gun 

 among the limbs, where I left it and climbed above on a 

 tour of inspection, when I found the family safely collect- 

 ed about as high up as it was safe to venture, and while 

 I stood there examining them and speculating on the 

 light and prospects of seeing them from the ground with 

 a view to shooting, one more daring than the rest sprang 

 over mr head and went tumbling from limb to limb, 

 while I hallooed to the Squire to look out for him, and 

 speculating if he would knock the old gun out of the tree 

 and who would get killed by it. 



Tiger and his master were near where the coon landed, 

 and for a time it was riotous doing; things were mixed 

 up with man, dog and coon, which was revealed to me by 

 sounds of "take 'em," crash, snap, a growl, and a splash 

 in the water of the brook, first of the coon and dog as 

 one, and the man on top. 



Taking in the whole situation, my comments were that 

 it was a piece of good generalship on the part of the coon 

 to get to the brook, while I could hear that "take 'em, 

 Tige," growing fainter and further away. 



I wanted to be there myself, but this was not my part; 

 I was a home guard and the combine was for a time 

 broken up. Fearing further loss from above, I got the 

 gun and laid low for the remainder of the family; with 

 one arm around the tree and with the gun resting on my 

 shoulder, with one hand only to work the gun, I awaited 

 their coming in fear. I did not have long to wait. They 

 were restless and kept a continuous moving about, and 

 the light had now got strong enough to be able to keep a 

 fair record of their doings, when seeing them both to- 

 gether with heads well up, I calculated it would be my 

 last chance and I poked, instead of being able to sight, 

 the gun as near at them as I could guess. It was not a 

 good fair shot, but it was now or never, so I let it go — 

 fully thirty feet of fire, which for an instant lighted up 

 the top of that tree in royal style, producing a sound that 

 might have been mistaken for a powder mill explosion, 

 and as for me I was busy. I had the biggest job of my 

 life. I had all I could take care of to keep in that tree 

 and not lose the gun; in fact, it become a matter of 

 quick calculation about going along with those coons. I 

 saw them as they passed by me and quite too close for 

 comfort, but my hope rose as I believed I had killed two 

 coons anyway. 



I hastened down as quickly as possible to gather them 

 in, which happy event did not come off just then, for 

 after a search of every nook and cover there were no 

 dead coons to be found, and I laid the gun in sadness by 

 the side of the old tin lantern and pronounced them a 

 happy pair, and then slid down the track taken by the 

 Squire to the brook below; then followed the brook to 

 the pond further below, where Tiger and the coon had 

 just landed; the coon in his last agonies and poor Tige 

 about tired out and partially drowned. 



Looking around I espied the Squire on the opposite side 

 of tbe pond hole, where he was emptying his boots and 

 wringing his stockings. Espying me at about the same 

 instant, he invited me to cross the stream below and 

 "bring the coon," all of which directions I carried out. 

 As soon as within talking distance, "What did you kill?" 

 was asked by the Squire, who avowed he saw forty feet 

 of fire come out of the top of the coon tree, and con- 

 tinued, "Tige had a hard time, and he had it all alone 

 most of the time. I could not get to him or be of any 

 service to him, as the coon kept to the brook, where the 

 stones were slippery and where the brook in places 



was quite deep, and that coon was always in the 



wrong place, and they traveled too fast for me to keep up 

 with them; but when they struck deeper water at the 

 pond that coon did his best to drown Tige"— and turning 

 to the dog (who had just, stretched himself at his master's 

 feet) he says to poor, tired Tiger, "He wa'n't coon enough 

 — not that fellow, was he, Tige? No, you good old fellow, 

 I'll bet ten dollars, at odds of two to one, that there ain't 

 a dog except Tige in the township that could have saved 

 that coon." Then, picking up the coon, he proposed to 

 "go back and try for the others," and back we went, 

 leaving one coon in company with the horse, but no other 

 coon could be found; and as we were all well tired it was 

 thought best to go home; but Tiger, who had been nosing 

 around, suddenly staited off and was soon at the end of 

 the old dam, where he began barking. I ran down there, 

 to find him trying to get in among a mass of old rocks and 

 logs, which at some time had formed a portion of the old 

 dam. Calling Tiger off from the unpromising venture 

 the combine were soon all gathered about the horse, pack- 

 ing traps for home. 



It was now daylight, and with gun, lantern and one 

 coon, the Squire and myself on the little gray, we moved 

 on. A more dilapidated, dirty and mud-covered pair of 

 hunters never set themselves up for public gaze; and it so 

 happened that we were just in time to see all the early 

 risers along the highway, and to be by them seen as well, 

 and it was a great relief to arrive at the Squire's barn, 

 where we felt the exhibition was over. 



If I am to be pardoned for telling so much about my 

 first coon hunt I may at some future time tell of subse- 

 quent hunts along with the Squire and his faithful Tiger. 



Sid Bromley. 



The St. Louis Kennel Club. 



The organization of the St. Louis Kennel Club should 

 give an added impetus to canine interests in the West in 

 particular and to the same interests in general. About 

 fifteen years ago St. Louis was the center of action of the 

 canine interests in the West, and in certain respects it 

 was inferior to none notably in the length and breadth of 

 its practical sportsmanship, it geographically being within 

 easy reach of the great natural game preserves of Amer- 

 ica. Missouri possessed its own abundance of game and 

 fish, and it was but a few hours' ride to the great chicken 

 grounds of the North, the quail grounds of the South, the 

 wildfowl shooting in every direction. No city is more 

 favorably situated for the healthy enjoyment of sport 

 with rod, dog and gun. While the practical side of 

 sportsmanship had not lessened, there was an apathy 

 concerning the competitive features of the dog world, and 

 the educational advancement of the public at large which 

 comes from public exhibitions and competitions. 



The new club is formed on specially sound financial 

 lines, ones worthy of the consideration of other organ- 

 izations of a similar character. The stock of the club is 

 capitalized at $3,000, divided into 300 shares at $10 each. 

 Ownership of one or more shares constitutes membership, 

 and as the shares are non-forfeitable and non-assessable, 

 it is a much more desirable and satisfactory arrangement 

 than any system of initiation fee and quarterly dues that 

 could have been devised. But a few shares remain un- 

 taken. In the membership are the names of gentlemen 

 famous in the financial, social and political world and in 

 the affairs of sportsmanship. Mr. John A. Long, the 

 president, is well known as a breeder and fancier of col- 

 lies, and many times has been an active participant in 

 bench show matters. Mr. John F. Shepley, vice-presi- 

 dent, was more active and conspicuous in promoting the 

 advancement of kennel interests a few years ago than 

 he is at present, business interests requiring his attention, 

 but he is none the less enthusiastic in the cause and an ad- 

 mirer of a good dog. Of the treasurer, the following in a 

 communication to the St. Louis gives but a fair presenta- 

 tion of the worth and esteem in which he is held. It says: 

 "The treasurer, J. B. C. Lucas, is the right man in the 

 right place, and his name has done more to inspire confi- 

 dence than any other that could have been proposed. A 

 friend of tbe dog in the broadest sense of the term, a sports- 

 man from the top of his head to the soles of hisfeet.he has 

 done more to increase the membership and further the 

 movement than any man in it. Mr. Lucas has been prom- 

 inently connected with every association connected with 

 such matters in many years, and his name is a synonym 

 for all that is upright, straightforward and honorable." 

 Loving the sports with rod, dog and gun for their own 

 sake, there never was anything selfish in his enjoyment, 

 for he was ever ready to promote the general gooaand en- 

 joyment of others. The secretary, Mr. Wm. Hutchison, en- 

 thusiastic and capable, has proven himself a hard-working 

 and indefatigable officer in carrying out the ideas of the 

 controlling board. One of the projectors of the move- 

 ment, he has seen it prosper beyond his most ar- 

 dent expectations, and no one is better pleased or more 

 in his element than when doing something for his 

 pet project— the St. Louis Kennel Club. The club 

 has not confined its share of action to the mere 

 field of canine improvement and the development 

 of a greater public interest in canine matters. It 

 has been an active factor in game preservation, and by 

 its material and moral aid has done much to make the 

 game warden, Mr. Jesse W. Henry, an active officer 

 instead of a passive one, there being an inadequacy of 

 funds to meet the demands of his office, or in fact to meet 

 even a small fraction of the necessary expenses. The club 

 has been active in securing funds for the necessary ex- 

 pense of the office and courts of prosecution, besides 

 liberal subscriptions by its own membership. 



Spaying. 



Rutland, Yt— Editor Forest and Stream: I shall be 

 very glad if some of your thousand and one correspond- 

 ents will give in your columns their experience in spaying 

 bitches that have had one or more litters of puppies, and 

 have grown to be four or five years old. I have an ex- 

 ceptionally fine pointer bitch of that age, highly bred 

 (Robert le Diablo— Pomp), well broken and a very good 

 bitch. If it will not destroy her ambition and render her 

 useless, I wish to have her spayed. 



Please ask your readers to give their experience, if they 

 have had any in similar cases. If Bpaying is out of the ques- 

 tion, what can be done to shrink the teats to natural size? 

 In this case the teats have been abnormally large since 

 she had her last litter, a year or more ago, and are very 

 unsightly. Verde Mont. 



[In Forest and Stream of July 20 Verde Mont will find 

 several authorities quoted on this subject.] 



