Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-01-28
Old Times.

Ed. Register-Last night, as / lay
awake-for [ felt restless; my bones
ached and my flesh felt sore-I though
over a good many scenes of my early
hunting days. One scene came up sc
fresh. 1t was about this time OF the
year. We had finished gathering oul
corn, and all of our crops had besn Sc
cured and safely housed. There came
few days of soft. damp weather, such
as we used to have. | took my gun and
went down to take a hunt with my Old
Pard. He lived below the Shut-In, on
Stout's Creek. When | reached the
place I found Old Pard splitting up fat
pine, ready for a fire-hunt.
He said, You are just the chap
have been looking for all the after
noon. It's going to be a splendid night
to hunt coons. or to fire-hunt for deer.
Old Pard's father wa an old Indian
fighter: had been in all the Indian wars
with old Tippacanoe, and was an old
hunter of hunters. He thought what
he did not know about hunting wasn't
worth knowing. This old hunter had
a yellow dog, called Bull; and whenever
Old Bull gave a sniff and wiggled the
stump of his tail, you might just keep
your eyes open. | tell you | used to
get so interested as ! would follow him
as he went smelling the ground or at
each tree as we passed. We could al
most always tell for certain what kind
of an animal he was on track of by his
actions. That night, after we had had
a good supper, we lighted up the pan,
and, with the gun, and an axe to cut
down any tree in which the dog might
get a coon treed, we started out. The
night was very warm and had clouded
up thick, aud it was very dark, for
there was no moon just a splendid
night for hunting. If you have ever
been coOn-hunting. you know we do not
GO very fast. or very far at time, as
we have to wait on the dogs move
ments. We always spent a good part
of the time sitting listening for the dog.
At last we heard him give one or
two short, sharp yelps, and We were on
our feet in a moment. After fixing the
pan a little. to make little better light,
we started in the direction of the dog
Pretty soon we heard Old Bull give two
or three sharp yelps, and we both hal
looed, whoa. Then-for that one word
can be heard in a still night for miles
when Old Bull heard us, he gave few
more yelps, as much as to say, Here
| am, and I've got one of the biggest
old coons up this ere saplin' you ever
seed in your life.' All, Old Bull, we'll
have some fun now. How the old dog
did dance around that tree. just you
shake him out. and I'll show you how
easy can lick that old COON"
We set the fire-pan on the ground,
ane Old Pard said, You cut you good
cudgel so as to help Old Bull if the coon
gets too much for him, and I'll skin up
the tree and make him jump out" As
Old Pard began to get too close to the
coon. he commenced climbing higher
and higher, until he got as far as he
could get. just then Old Pard gave
the tree a good shake, and out came
old Mister Coon right on top of Old
Bulls head. But Old Bull was ready
for him. As they clinched and com
menced rolling and tumbling over and
over on the ground they were so mixed
up | couldn't get in a lick at all. As
Old Pard came scaling down the tree
we watched them. At last, Old Bull
got the coon by the throat and soon
made finish of him.
After petting him for while, and
calling him all the endearing names,