Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-04-01
6mntoroms.
A COON HUNT STORY.

other nuts to which the raccoon gentry
are very partial OF course we sailed
out often with the boys for night expe-
ditions, and. seldom returned at about
sunrise without one, if not Two Of the
"critters." But we arc not going to re-
gale the reader with any of our achieve
ments-lhey hardly would bear publi-
cation. We mean simply to tell Of the
exploit Of some Of the raw hands that
came into the mountains from a some
what cityfed village for the purpose Of
astonishing US on our own ground. W
Their sporting appointments wero
certainly unexceptionable- Lanterns,
axes, guns and dogs, all and everything
looked as if on purposeto do nothing
but hunt.raccoons. The men were well
fitted out, with boots above the knees,
skull-caps. shooting-coatsn and every
thing cap-e.pic to carry on sporting
campaign. The illers of the village
watched them with gaping mouths, but
the old hunters looked suspiciously on
their sleek dogs, their fine clothes, and
supercilious airs. They paraded about
SO conse1uen,ially, at last, that all re-
solved to let them go on their own way,
and do their own hunting. A u
The party waited impaliently for the
nightto close upon the hills, when they
started for the mountains, boasting upon
the sagaci,y of their dogs, which they
said, would soon lead them to the
coon trees and ledges. Of they start
ed, each man with lighted lantern,
looking for all tho world as did the
monks probably when Major Monson
in "Charley o o'Mulley." marched them
in procession around the ramparts Of
some Spanish town, the name OF which
we recollect ended like that Of most
Spanish towns. in either era, asa or ossa.
From this evident token that the gen
,leman had no idea of hiding their lights
under bushels, the villagers Judged that
the expedition would do wonderfully
absurd things; and it was. with some i'm;
patience tqat many louhgers sat up for
the purpose Of welcoming them home,
sometime between twelve at night and
sunrise. ..N..5s SD
And return they did in due course of
time, and such a squad of looking be-
ings we never before saw. Some had
lost their, caps, others the skirt Of coat.
and some, nearly everything but their
boot legs, which, being of leather, had
resisted the encounters with briars and
sharp ricks pretty well, and to hear
them tell their chair breadth escapes"
one could not but wonder they did not
lose their lives too, jointly and sew
orally.
"Whas luckl was the query Of the
landlord.
,"Well." drawled out the man who
apparently filled the roll of Captain to
the party; alt was pretty good-wc
killed fourof,ho confounded creatures" +"
"And l tell you what" said pom.
pous little fellow, with an eye which
some wag present said he must have
run against a knot hale, it was SO black p;
81 tell you what old cock, | had ter.
rible fight with one of THE brutes. and
killed it single handed" 9.i3'
"How 500"
"I'll tell you. We were going thro'
a pasture Indian file. l brought up in
the rear, swinging my lantern abou,
carelessly, when all ut once | heard
something in the brakes near me. ]
started aud turned. Just then the light
of my lanternfell upon something crawl.
ing off. followed and saw what it was.
Boys" | cried, "a raccoon, as live,''
and with that | made for him, for
knew I'd run him down. sprang for
it, the others coming up, when all q,
once heard queer kind Of noise,
such as rnccoons make when giving
fight, l suppose, and the man behind me
fell yelling as if he had been shot
"lye got him." cried, and we rolled
over and over. the creature doing his
worst, until at last ] conquered him
and aint he whopperl Look a, him.
cried the overjoyed young gentleman,
producing from his game bag an ami
NAL, at the sight Of which the specta'
tors shouted, "By golly, skunk!'
"a skunk!" gasped the poor fellow
dropping the booty to the ground. His
companions were thunderstruck. "a
skunk !" each cried in his turn.
81 though. So" said the young man
who was said to have been hit. ~
"Well, / declare, if that don't beat
all my mothers relations" cried the
landlord, holding his sides to keep them
from bursting with laughter. "Why,
do you mean to say, ye fellers, you don't
know what skunk is @
"Why," cried the crest fallen yicto,
in single combat, edo you mean to say
skunk has black and white spots, and
looks almost like catl"
ITO be sure ! dew" replied tho land
lord. 1