Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-07-16

lots OBJ grapes" others contending for
de ole Green field, whar de simmons
is jest breakin' de trees down"
Uncle Der" cuts the matter short by
shouldering his AK aud leading off in
the direction OF the creek bottom.
Reaching the woods. we stop a
while, as Unelc Ben says, Ito glib the
dogs chance aud soon we hear them
patteriag about in the dead leaves in
search Of possum or trail. Meantime
the young "niggers' are loudly dis
cussmg the merits OF their respective
dogs, when Uncle Ben, who is stand
ing in a patch of moonlight q little
ahead, whirls round and yells, Here
you young uns, stop dat fuss How
dc debbil is | gwine to hear de dogsl
Ike, if | hears your mourf agin, I'll
stick your he'd in sink hole and lef
you dar-you hear meY' That settles
US. \
A few minutes pass in silent expec-
fancy, and the stiffness is broken by
low whisper from one of the dogs.
Oats 'Remus, :" whispers Ike, II
knows his tongue; possum or polecat
shore"
Now, there's quick, sharp yell in
the direction of which all the dogs
break with rush; and the whole pack
dash off in full cry. A short run of
perhaps one hundred yards; and then
suddenly all is silent again.
"Have they lost the trail?" | ask
for answer the dogs open again with a
standing"
"Dar, dey's freed" and away we go,
heller skelter, now tripped by trail
ing vine, anon falling headlong over
rotten log, bruising shins, scratching
faces, tearing clothes, whooping and
yelling we reached the dogs, which,
encouraged by our presence and yells
becomes frantic with excitement
The 'possum has taken refuge in the
/, TOP of . small oak sapling. up which q
grapevine has climbed, Old Ben
shakes the tree and jerks the vine, but
no 'possum falls.
Here, you, Silas, you elm up de
saplin and pull him out, and min you
doan LET him drap 'mong de dogs
Silas, aided by boost from Uncle
Ben, shins up the saplin' and in a
moment sings out, "Whoop, II got him,
but his tail done raped roun' dis linn
so tight dat | cant loose him, Hellol
Look out Oar he comes and the
'possum comes tumbling down into the
very jaws Of the eager dogs, and the
whole pack pile right on him; bu.
Ben, with few hearty ticks With
the ak helve and vigorous kicks with
his No. II programs now makes en-
opening through which he reaches
down, and grasping the possum
by the tail, lifts it high above his
head to keep the dogs from regaining
possession of it,
The dogs are kicked and cuffed into
something like quiet, Silas slides down
the sapling, the 'possum, which all
this time has been playing dead, is
, dropped into sack; a young darky
throws it across his shoulder; Ben
picks up his ak; and after taking a
look at the "seben stars to see what
, time it is" away we go in search Of
, more game.
About midnight, with three or four
more 'possums, we turn. our faces
: homeward, old Ben trudging along in
front, and singing:
1.-THE squirrel has bushy tail,
Stumpy grows de har;
De ole cOOn's tail am ringed all around,
De 'Possum's tail am bare"
The dogs seem to know that the
hunt is over; and with dropping heads
SLOUGH along at heel. Now and then
a young dog sees a rabbit playing in
E the moonlight and with yelp or two
! dsshes after it, but soon returns. The
! youngsters-whitc and black-now
: that the EXCITEMENT is over, grow
sleepy and silent as we drag our tired
feet along, and are glad enough when
Z the "big house" aud niger cabins
are sighted in the moonlight,
Old Ben empties the sack on the
frozen ground; but the 'possums make
no effort to escape-they are still
possuming dead. There is but one
correct mode of killing possum, and
that's the "0le Rurginny" style. Sc
Ben gets light rail, places ipossun
Il on its belly on the ground, lays tn,
= rail across its neck close to the head
i makes young darby stand on each
end of it, then taking position il
\ front Of the possum catches him b!
the tail, puts his left foot on the rail-
q a quick jerk" tchick Its neck i
Q broken. A long bladed knife Il
n plunged into the sticking place" ant
pushed home to the heart and then i
?: is hung up to bleed.
y sNext morning tub is half filleC
I with hot water mot too hot), int
y which is dropped the 'possum ant
. held by the tail until the hair viii
: sliD: then taken out. laid upOn
= plank or board, and the hair or WOO
i pulled off with the fingers, Ii i
4 quickly done and the skin is as soft
r. smooth and white as baby's.
q In those days we knew nothing o
d cooking stoVes-they had not beer
introduced into the South; and 50 tn,
possum was let to freeze two or tbre,
: nights, then placed in a FIVE gallon
kettle Of water, into which was throwr
TWO pods Of red pepper. After boilinj
n one hour in the pepper water, tha
j. vas poured out aud the kettle refilleC
g with plain water After boiling il
e this for one hour it was taken out
e placed in large oven, sweet potatoes
IS cut in half put round It, black pepper
: salt and q plpeh or two Of sage sprin