1876 .] 
AND HORTICULTURIST. 
A 
zxL 
and evergreen oaks, I heard them singing lustily 
the celebrated coon-catching epic, “ Sittin’ on a 
Rail.” The hero of the poem, it seems, was a 
daring darkey, who fearlessly, bravely, and 
stealthily, regardless of consequences, crept up 
1 to— 
“ De raccoon sittin’ on a rail, an’ sleepin’ berry 
sound, 
Den he cotch him by de tail, an’ pull him to de 
ground.” 
But, as the sequel will show, in this instance, 
he was not a sleepin’berry sound.” He was “a 
wide-awake coon.” The night was more than 
usually pleasant, so calm and cool, and almost as 
light as day. Nature seemed to be at rest all 
serenely. 
“ The moon was bright, ’twas a shiny night, 
In the season of the year.” 
I honestly believe we all felt as merry, if not 
as brave, as did either Earl Percy or Douglass, of 
“Chevy Chase” renown, as we filed off along 
the forest path. “ With axe or brand, no braver 
band, advanced to face ”—a coon. 
The chief hunter rejoiced in the name of Long 
John, while his henchman was equally proud of 
Bogus. The next name on the roll was Festus— 
“ most noble Festus”—followed consecutively oy 
the valiant Soger; then, yours respectfully, W. 
T. H., and lastly, though not less famous, Vine¬ 
gar, and whom all acknowledged to be “de best 
dog dat eber treed a coon.” 
Now, in many respects, Vinegar was a remark¬ 
able canine, and I say it advisedly; he was the 
leanest and mangiest pup that ever ran before a 
tail. Indeed, he seemed to be a “ cur of low de¬ 
gree,” and to have, as his looks indicated, a very 
dogged way of his own. Notwithstanding, he 
was, to his credit be it said, in possession of more 
than ordinary dog talents in circumventing rats, 
rabbits, ’possums, and coons, and was honored 
accordingly. Bogus and Vinegar were bosom 
friends by day and bed-fellows by night, and had 
for several seasons lived and loved together. 
Long John was considered a good man, and I 
believe he was; he was (what I believe they call), 
a Gospel expounder on the plantation. In some 
respects he resembled Saul, who, “from his 
shoulders and upwards, he was higher than any 
of his people.” He was also a man of might in 
his way, having had some desperate encounters, 
as he described them, when “wreslin’ wid de 
spirit, befo’ he was ’ligeous.” When I remarked 
that I thought the spirit must have been a 
plucky one that durst attack ,a man like him, he 
replied, “ De dibble wusn’t half so plucky as he 
’peer’d to be, wen he wus well tackled; he mostly 
got de wust of de scrimage.” Just fancy Long 
John and the other black fellow in a tussle. 
Well, he was just as good and useful on the coon- 
path as he was terrible when on the war-path. 
After wandering about some time, through 
bogs and swamps, until I was weary and wet, in 
fact, I ^as in a shocking plight, Vinegar had the 
credit of treeing a coon. Bogus, approvingly and 
with much gusto, remarked, “ Binegah am de 
most cunnin’ ole man dat eber wag a tail, 
shuah.” Then was heard such a hubbub, yell¬ 
ing? hooting, howling, and barking round the 
tree as was never heard before from four men 
and a dog. All the time the chips flew fast and 
furious, as they vigorously applied their axes to 
the butt of the tree. Poor blackamoor! how 
much they seemed to enjoy the sport, and how I 
laughed to hear them cracking funny jokes at 
“de gemman up de tree,” whom they invited to 
come down “ an’ ’zamin’ massa Binegah mouf, 
case he got de toof-ache, shuah!” I really pitied 
the poor creature, and hoped he would escape. 
It did not seem a fair fight—five to one. The 
rotten tree soon yielded to their efforts, and be¬ 
gan to lean over. The excitement seemed to in¬ 
crease as it fell, when to the astonishment of all 
hands, three coons scampered v out of a hole, and 
together fell foul on Vinegar. Thus beset, the 
beleagured “ Binegah ” seemed to be getting the 
worst of it, until Festus interfered. Aiming a 
blow at one of the coons, he missed it, and buried 
his axe in the dog’s side, and disemboweled poor 
Binegah. 
“Great Goddlemighty!” exclaimed Bogus, and^ 
looking at Festus, said, “See what you niggah 
fool dun, you murdid poo’ Binegah shuah!” In 
an instant Bogus was down by the dog, vainly 
attempting to close up the frightful gash in his 
companion’s side. The big tears flowed copi¬ 
ously from' the master’s eyes, and fell fast upon 
the face of his dog, whose life-blood was welling 
away. 
In the mind’s eye I see the picture now, and a 
more pitiful sight I seldom have seen, than the 
poor weeping negro rubbing his rugged cheek on 
the dog’s, and sobbingly commiserating with his 
dying friend, and exclaiming, “ Poo’ Binegah! 
ole man, you dun fo’ now! No mo’ rats, no mo’ 
possum, no mo’ rabbit, no mo’ coon, no mo’ 
nuffin,—an’ no mo’ Binegah! Dis chile will 
miss de poo’ fellow! Sally, miss de poo’ fellow I 
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