The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-01-14
HUNTING THE COON.
Row the Men Secure tho Fat and juicy
Animal After "A Denl Of Work.

Row the Men Secure tho Fat and juicy
Animal After Deal Of Work.
On leaving the highway that leads
nearest to the hunting ground the way
Of the coon hunters takes them, in
darkness or feeble lantern light, over
rough and uncertain footing, till the
cornfclds edge is reached and the dogs
cast of. Away so the hounds, their
course only indicated by the rustling
of the corn leaves as they range through
tie field, until one old truth teller gives
tongue on the trail of Br'er Coon. who
perhaps has brought his whole family
out on a. nocturnal picnic. The hounds
sweep straight away, in full cry, on the
hot scent TO hill or swamp, where their
stcahfast Buying proclains that the
game is freed
T.ien fellows pell nell scramble
toward the musical uproar. Stones,
cradle knobs, logs, stumps, mad holes,
bramhlc, and all the inanilnato enc
mics ret lie ia wait for man when he
hastcns in the dark combine to trap,
bump. bruisc, sprain, scratch and be-
miro tie hurrying hunters.
Then when all have gathered at the
center of attraction, where the excited
hounds are raving about the boil Of
some great tree, the best ana bollest
climber volunteers to go aloft into the
uprcr darkness and shake the quarry
down or shoot him if may be. If he
succeeds in accom- lshing the difficult
tas,, what melee ensues when the
coon crashes through the branches to
the ground and becomes the erratic
center of the wild huddle of dogs and
men.
Fewer voices never broke the still
ness of night with sounds more un-
earthly than the medley of raging,
ycIping and growing, cheering and vo-
cilcrous orders given forth by dogs,
coon and hunters, while hillside and
woodland toss to and fro Il more dis
cordant badinagc of echo.
The coon is not great beast, but a
tough and sharp toothed one, who car
RIGS beneath his gray coat and fat ribs
stout heart and wonderful vitality,
and Il tussc with veteran of the tribe of
cornield robbers tests the pluck of dogs
and the GOODNESS of men.
If the coon takes refuge in a tree too
30 fnr l, f,,
climb there is nothing for them but to
keep watch and ward till daylight dis
covers him crouchcd in his lofty perch
A huge fire cnlivens the long hours
of guard keeping. A foraging party
repairs to the nearest cornfield for
roasting ears, ana the hunters shorten
the slow night tide with munching
scorched corn, sauced by jokes and
song and tales of the coon hunts of by.
gone years.
The waning moon throbs into view
above a serrated hill crest, then climbs
the sky while the shadows draw east
ward, then pales in the dawn. and
WIlcu IL Is IL DlOtCll vi WlllUc CiOuu III
the zenith sunrise gun welcomes day
and brings the coon tumbling to earth
or perhaps not coon, but some va
grant house cat, is the poor reward o.
the long watch. Then the weary hunt
ers plod homeward to breakfast and
the mailing of their trophies to the barr
door,
When the sweet acorns dropping il
the frosty night tempt the coon to {
later feast there is as good sport ant
primer peltry. In any of the night
wherein this sport may be pursued TIN
man of lazy mold and contemplativ'
mind loves best the hunt deemed un
successful by the more ardent hunters
when the hounds strike the trail o
wandering fox and carry a tide of mu
sic flooding and ebbing over vale,
and hilltop. while the indolent hunte
reclines at ease, smoking his pipe ant
listening, content to let more ambitiou
hunters stumble over lodges and wal
low through swamps in pursuit of tn
elusive coon Forest and Stream.