, 1860-01-20
Tho Coon a q HurrN

Iheard coon story the other dsy-A truly
remarkable coon stoFy-told BY . man Whoss
character stands high lbr "trutk and verarity. :
"You know Il was dark last night when. I
started homer said the friend 10 whom I An
indebted fsr the story. 80 ~"
81 d" said I. u" H'oi ~
"WeH, cir, I got the dreadf6lsst Scare, On tbe
way, that ever any poor mortal ses IN y
%How va. .h..s" .Gksd, feeling .. ono.
"You know the Iittls bruShy pniris tIOmlsi
from town. ael = II ~ Z ,haajto3
"Yean Ftf aK fei arafali9Jr
swell just - I got into thai, my fur dogs
opened out after something not over two hundred
yards from the road. stopped 10 aseeftain
which way they were running, and found they
would cross the road about iity yards ahead d
me. I ran up there with all my might expect.
ing 10 sse what they were AFTER, and reaching
the expected crossing In advance Of them,
stopped TO awai; the result They let out beau.
tifnlly-neveF heard anything more delightful in
my whole lie. ! was wild with excitemsnL for
they were coming directly 10 where stood. A
few seconds and heard the brush cracking right
at the side Of the road, and In the next instant
heavy object leaped upon my back, scrambled
rapidly upwards, and took position on the roof
Of my cap. Ere I had time To shake Il oG, Or
even % think what was up (no pun in.ended) the
iOur dogs also leaped upon me, and down We ell
went IN heap together. G ~ 4
"Talk Of your bear hunts yourpsnther scrapes,
your Indian adventuFes-anything you viii, and
feel ct home while listening to you. In eli such
things have taken hand, and many are the
narrow risks, and hairbresdth escapes have
weathered it through; but never before IN NJ
life did encounter anything that frightened me
90 badly. Bundles Of tee, coffee, and sugar, that
Twas taking home, all were loEgotton; in h-t my
thoughts were speedily turned from everything,
save that Of getting out Of the strange scrapo
into which had been 50 uneeremoniously In
volved s'4 - ~ s =,
"As soon Is recovered sense enough 70 pick
myself out from among the swapping, snarling,
yelling, and struggling mass Of animals that were
upon me, untnngled and made tracks for home
about mile further, you know. Al the start
ing point these tracks were about eight feet apart
and at the outcome, or rather ct my doorstep,
they were no nearer together. have never sst
myself Bp as . runnef-don't think could b
considered swift on ordinary occasions; yet win
venture to say that no man ever padded oif 4
mile quicker than / did the one lying between ihr
brushy prairie and my residence.
"This morning ] went out early and called 81
the dogs ContraTy 70 my expectations they
were al It home sab and sound then loaded
up my gun end set out for the pguirie 10 look ioI
signs hoping 70 fnd something By which might
Judge of the nature of the stIanro scrapo of IN
evening before. found signs IN abundance-a
lpace Of over ten feet across. completely covered
with dirty compound of tel, coffee, and sugar
Yea, and more than this lound-a dead coonl
"a little reflection enabled me 10 unraxsl III
whole mystery. Ny dogs had struck fresh eool
trail IN the prairie. The coon, e coons will felI
desire to save bis bacon, and 20 he made Of IN
search Of something 10 climb. The dog wsGl
close upon him when he reached the road Whsrl
Twas Standing, and seeing . aperpendicular Object
there, suppose be leapsd up 4 without taking
time 70 calculate its height, and that's how b
came % Be upon my head. The dogA bsing h
sight when he made the ascent, followed suit
and that's how We I'll came 70 Be down IN III
road together. | was too badly frightened 4
think Of my store goods IN ! Wls salb Il homo
and that is how space of Zen let across cam
TO b covered with dirty compound q r., co1s'