Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-01-15
torv coon xas e,hibited Inc service rem

tory coon was exhibited the service rem
 dered was gratefully acknowledged.
 It was after this exploit, when we had
 walked mile further. that our guide
 said: "Peter, what have you in that
 bag?"
 "Tse got de coon; sab," responded
 Peter.
 Feels very hard," said the master,
 prodding the bag with stick, "and 1t
 looks heavy"
 "Yes, sir, he's the awfullest heaviest
 coon ever dis nigger tOted. He's a ole
 coon, shuah; but Snide was too much for
 him-ha, hal Land a massy, what dust
 dat pup raised"
 :What else is there in the bag?' asked our friend, not thrown off by this ora tiOn of the darkey,
 "Dey ain't muffin else, sah, said Peter, very seriously.
 Let's see?' said the other
 "Fse got de rope in dah," said Peter, ObliviOus to the fact that another mem Der of the party was carrying the rope. | Finally he was convinced of his error in this respect, and OF opening the bag | out rolled large watermelon. "Golly, Mars Henry, I ment to sprise you. I thought when you was tired may be piece watermelon go mighty good, SO jest fetch it long when We come through de ole mans place mp dah Is you ready for 1t now
 Having turned the theft to such good account "Mars' Henry k not disposed to to quarrel over the wrong, and So Peter escaped easily.
 After this diverting incident we lay down upon the ground and Walker Tay Tor went to sleep and snOred. We did not. After this rest another start was made in the direction of the river and 1 our wagon. We reached the bank just | as the sun began to tinge the clouds and | hills Tn the East. A steamboat laden | with freight and passengers plOwed hts | way toward CIncinnattI and came near | us just as the hound opened a cry that 1 told that she had treed the coon, Taylor | had gone off to run his trOt line" and | while we waited for him the dog sat | quietly under the tree, and Peter threw his rope over the lowest limb and pro- ceeded to elimb into the boughs. Once there he sprang nimbly from limb to limb, looking for the game. At last he found it, and announced in an exultant | tone that 1t was an "Ole 'un' The coon was hanging tightly to a large limb and
  began to cut with his ax. The limb came to the ground with crash. The coon took to his feet, but his run was a short one. Soon the dogs had him.
 Fair play is q jewel" and fair play, more than fair play was given to his cOOnship in the fight that ensued He and the small bulldog were put to it, the other dogs being restrained. Soon the animals caught n death-hold; the dog had the coon by the throat and the coon had the dog by the neck. There was no let-go in that struggle. While the two held each other in this way one of us caught the dog, another the coon. With three swings they were thrown out into the river where the water was deep. This made things more nearly equal. A coon fights better in she water than dog The struggle was, severe, sickening in its fer1city. The water about the ,..::ii;:,'als was in foam and was bloody. Soon the fight was over. The coon gave up, the dog shook him unresisted and the coon tiOated. 1t was dead. The dog tried to swim ashore, but he sank; he, too, had expended ali his powers in the battle. Peter was ready for theef2Ar- gency. Without wasting time to strip he plunged into the water and the dog was rescued, though he lay for several l minutes lifeless upon the bank while We did what We could to revive him. Finally he was himself again and with never a | look back he walked quietly to the wagon. Then, in the broad light of the lay We concluded our chase, hunt more wearisome but hardly less exciting than the run after an anlsee-bag.