Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-08-03
A PLANTATION HUNT.
5evon Fat Coons We're Captured
After a Weary Tramp.

ooNoh y ~ SOOub WoTo OhpJuIeu
After a Weary Tramp.
"There are several things necessary
for successful coon hunt" said my
friend, Joe Wood, lighting another one
Of my Havanas and rocking himself
vigorously back and forth in the worn
hide-bottomed chair that occupied the
coolest corner of our boarding house
piazza. ITO begin with, II must be n
good coon year-that is, the anipals
must have good luck in raising their
young, tho persimmons must have
fruited heavily, and, last OF all, there
should be light furry Of snow TO bring
them out into the open aud give the
hounds chance. II you care for lit
tie sport" he continued, in his pleasant
southern drawl, there are plenty of
the little pests in the forests of Ingle-
side"
One morning Wood lounged into the
Office and proposed an immediate trip
to his home. Nothing loath, hastily
disposed Of books and briefs, and turn
ing the key in my Office door we two
sailed forth together. All day we trav-
eled through rifed corn and cotton
fields, dark, moss-hung swamps and
somber pine forests, for Wood lived al
most in the heart of Efiingham county,
and II was evening when we stopped at
the little log station deep in the heart
of the pine lands. A darby, exceeding
ly black and ragged, and wholly unin-
telligible Ito mel ms to speech, mounted
on a mule and leading two others, were
the only living things in sight.
IAN right, thisser way" said Wood,
falling quite naturally into the dialect
Of the rice fields.
The road to Woods plantation led
partly through a somber pine forest
and partly through n sort Of marshy
Geld. 1t was quite dark when we came
In sight of the long, low, wooden build
Ing, and the red freight that flashed
through its many windows was a cheer
full sight to the weary traveller.
There was no one In sight to welc oms
| Wood save a superannuated old egrcss,
extremely broad of person and glib OF
tongue, who informed us that miss
Ginny and her nah done gone toe babe,
'kase dey warn't 'spectin' no comp'ny,
let lone gentlemen"
Wood cut her short by ordering her
TO produce whatever the house afford
ed In the shape of supper, and led the
way into the room through whose win
dows the freight shone most brightly.
This room was long and low ceiled, its
walls covered almost with pictures
hung in what at first seemed wild con.
fusion-engravings, oils and chromos
all finding space and lending a peculiar
home-like charm to the room.
Upon the table long-necked mando.
lin jostlcd several books of poems and O
few well-worn novels, and long, soft,
white shawl trailed from the back OF
the hide bottomed chair in which Wood
ensconced himself, signing me TO take
the other at the opposite side Of the
wide, open fireplace.
The rank odor Of frying bacon soon
pervaded the room and shortly after an
old negro, as dried and withered as the
negress was the reverse, entered with
the hastily prepared supper. The
crispy fried bacon strips, the odor OF
which had assaulted our olfactories
some moments before, floating in a lit
tie sea of grease, some nicely Drowned
corn pone still bearing the impress OF
old Dinah's three pudgy digits on the
upper crust, and some roasted yams
with large cups of extremely strong
black coffee, completed the meal.
The next day set In dismal and rainy
and as we were not TO hunt until the
shades of evening were falling / de
cided TO remain for the present before
the huge fireplace, basking in the
warmth of royal hickory fire and in
the presence of Miss Regina Wood.
Lovely and languid to a degree, this
young woman seemed TO have no more
occupation in life save that of swayine
gently to and fro in a huge hide-bot
toned rocker and admiring her own love
ly rose-tinted hands. She passed the time
in neither reading nor stunning on the
piano, nor in the tiresome occupation OF
fancy work, the manufacture of which
seems to be the delight of SO many
women.
Toward night old 81 began his prep
aration for the hunt and after supper
we sailed forth. There were neither
guns nor ammunition in the party, but
old 81 carried several fat pine torches,
| bhdipt new ~ anu tdth hunter was
armed with stout stick.
Wood, old 81 and myself, together
with two other young rich planters
made up the party, between whom
there We're twenty-five hounds, Of every
color and breed, and as We marched
over field and through woods their bay
ing seemed 10 warn their canine friends
that tho fun was up, for hounds from
every direction seemed to gather ape
join the hunt, until II seemed that til,
whole woods was alive with theil
eager, lean bodies
We Travelled what seemed TO me sew
eral miles through bush and briar. The
soles of my boots were polished smooth
as glass from treading on the pin,
needles, and was well-nigh exhausted
before the first game was freed. The
hounds gathered at the base Of a sturdy
hickory sapling, and such an inferno
music as they kept up until we arrived
It was never before my lot TO hear
"Dey is freed one, bless Gawdl dey Il
| treed Onelh called ont old NJ and run