The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-02-23
ON COON HUNT.
Maryland Girls Out on Tramp
by TorchliRht.
up q Gum Tree''-A Queer Pro
cessiOn-Shaking Down the
Game-Ooon and Tat: rs,
PUne and Pie.
baltimore American.

VIVA Dung laUleS OH h COOL
hunt? The idea was preposterous
"Jest ter think of these yer wimmin
folks q trapesin' bout de woods in de
night time; doan't b'Iieve in no SIGH
foOiishness," whispered Uncle Zeke
the champion coon hunter of the
neighborhOod. So thought everyone
else except the Obdurate young ladies
who argued that as 1t was more OF
less a family party there was no i'm.
propriety in such a frolic. The dis.
cussion, which continued for nearly
half an hour, was carried on hy an
anxious mother, four young ladies,
three young man, and old Zeke before
the large kitchen fireplace, in which
big oak logs were burning briskly,
sending out a mellow light that out
lined the figures in magnifed shad-
ows and formed some fantastic
pante,uimes on the opposite walls.
"Why, girls" said the mother,
"who ever heard of young ladies
going on a coon bunt?"
"That's just why we want 20 g."
answered the n with brown hair.
"Well, then, if I can't persuade
you out of this insanity, suppose you
ask Uncle Z.ke's opinion?'
Uncle Zeke had been a silent wit.
ness. His private opinion, chroni-
cled above, had been expressed to
the writer in an undertone. One of
the young ladies-a veritable dipio-
mat -crossed to where the old man
was standing, laid her hand on the
shoulder of his rusty coat, aud,
smiling straight into his eyes. said;
Now. Uncle Zeke, you're not
going to decide against us, are you?"
To express it elasticity, this broke
the old man all up. He backed down
like a coward.
II guess it won't do no harm for you
to CO." he said. "But you and the
young men must keep together, and
don't go anywheres only where l tell
you"
The party, now numbering ten,
got together, and by half past s
O'Clock had passed through the road
gate and was making for the woods
across the field. The dogs bounded
the ground, yelping joyously.
The colOred boys hollered and ran
heller SHELTER. playing leap frog and
getting far In advance of the others
And all the time the ladies exclaim-
ed: "Oh my" "Aln't this jolly!" and
q perpetual torrent of ques-
tons on Uncle Zeke.
"Where's your gum" they asked.
"We doan't take no guns. There
no fun in shootin' coons. We
kills 'em with clubs. You seed the
sticks them young fellers had? Wait
till they git at a coon, and you'll pur-
ty soon see how they kin git tie best
Of him."
Zeke directed the boys to take the
dogs to the fence corner near the
branch road. II seed a lot of half.
eaten corn and some nibbled chest
nuts round there to-day, and you kin
depend upon it dere's a coon some
whar in de neighborhood."
The whole party met at the fence
The ladies were eager with
excitement to press on with the hunt.
The pine knots which the party
were lighted. Three men
were distributed among the party.
Due advice was given to avoid muddy
places.
Now, go ahead" shouted Z.ke.
The hunters and h%untresses move
Onward. A queer tOrchlight pro-
session it makes, the glar , of the pine
Knots giving \ lurid hue to the tall,
eafiess trees. The dogs bound for
ward. barking uneasily, while the
1arkies cry Hi, there! Go it, now!"
And on we 60. The torch lights
pathway. Z.ke is already In the !
cad. In u short time we see the dogs |
Under a gum tree, barking furiOusly.
The excitement grows intense. The !
of the dogs, the hubbub Of the
and the EXPLANATORY furore of
he young ladies combine into q
mall sized pandemonium, which =,
would scare an ordinary coon to
leath. Zeke takes command. "Take
are de ladies over dar, near de clump
# cedars; and keep 'em dare. Don't
e come under de tree, or We might ,
,et hurt" The ladies were promptly
emoved to the reserved portion.
where they have an excellent view
# the operations. The torches in
distinctly illuminated the tree. On
ne of the topmost boughs was e a
mass.
Now, jake" stentoriously cried
leke' ''clilnb de tree and shake de
out"
Oh goes Jake's coat. He springs
Q the tree a. II attacking q monster.