The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-08-30

| nse started involuntarily.. ,aEf hit war Ger appear to we-uns nor,,n w he Hi.;lnured, . apprehensiyely. ihet hole thar put he in mind .. ' continued the other. qOld, Man .Naters, he sez hit come out'ni that hoI4 an walked over this ledge. an, iost. SnaS D1uS .hutty feet over van hit fest trapped plumb out'n sight; an tho he war a-lookin' an a-loo6in' fur hit for come ter sight ag'in hit he'd gone fur l liitair plumb curus wher hitwent," l reflected Budy SfEsE TtS yyA'' I haHts air made of sskr, l reckon" Coon brought forward his theory with considerable confidence. An eff thev ar made out'n air they can't hurt hu man, low" !hefe was, such peculiar note in his volce that Bud turned around with a long searching look at him. Air ye aimin' ter hunt fur the crit ter?" he whispered, almost trembling to think of the profanity of such n thing as'disturbing a hant.
 Elf hit air handy ter do so I aim ter"
 Coon spoke with his usual quiet tdrawl,y but with such deliberate em- phasts that the assertion carried con viction to Buds wondering ears.
 Fur sure, Coon?" Bud was wed at such daring.
 "Yes, eff" r.--.-s .r.----. -..,.. "Yes-ss!"
 The boys were on their feet in, m in- stant, faced, with dilated eyes, toward that yawning Assure. '
 Back there, in the darkness, swayed ghostly, grayish figure. @
 ,"Ies-ss, yes-ss, yes.ss!" mocked the ha'nt. Then its horrible, unearthly voice died away in low mutter. as the darkness closed upon the fading figure.
 Bud felt his hair rising with terror, and his tongue clung to the roof of his mouth. He could not speak. Too terrified to stir he gazed, fascinated, at the spot where the angered ha'nt had disappeared.
 Coon's face was still trifle pale, and his eyes were darker than usual; but he tried to steady his voice as he spoke: Hit war the ha'nt, fur sure, Bud" ....... ...a.r...
 An hit war a-mocking' of ye, Coon. l low hit war powerful mad at ye, fur aimin' ter hunt it.' Buds. voice. trem- bled; but he was trying to appear in.' different as to whether the ghost was angry enough to attempt to injure them.
 I'm aimin' ter hunt hit" Coon per sisted His hair seemed rising still and his knees felt unsteady, but his resolution did not falter.
 Alarmed at such audacity, his com rade tried in vain to turn him from his purpose. Coon doggedly resisted. Bud finally desisted in sheer despair, and the boys were silent for awhile.
 Les smudge him out, Bud" Coon said, at last, in a low whisper.
 Bud turned around in horror at such daring irreverence.
 "Smudge out a ha'nt" he gasped. "Dye dast, Coon? Whatll hit do ter ye, dye reckon?"
 "I low we uns thought jest 'speeri- mint on hit, anyways" Coon returned, deliberatingly. "Ye see, nobody knows jest what ha'nt thought take hit inter his head ter do. But we uns could experiment, an mebbe hit thought do some good"
 Hit thought blast the craps"
 "Wen, hit thought, but ag'in hit ,,,.N,,rrhfnSf Nn-nno xNnr11 lynntx, f,,r sure eff hit war that-away then"
 Hit thought kill us dead" Bud ven- tured, dismally. ..
 "Td like mighty we'll ter jest know fur certing what ha'nt would do," persisted Coon. "Granny's alters a-tellin' about CT seeing on 'em, an nary word about 'em a-doin' nothing, onless his war skeerin' somebody mighty nigh ter death. An l ain't skeery," suggestively, "ef hit air any thing else"
 Nav, an ain't, neither We'll, we. uns kin do hit, mebbe."
 Bud sighed; but heroically deter mined tofollow where his friend might lead.
 An hit would be mighty satixfyin' ter know jest what a hafnt war made of, an jest what he war obligated ter do." Coon again asserted.
 In spite of his deliberate manner he was plucky little fellow, utterly fear less where ha'nts were not concerned, and of too inquiring turn of mind to take the world on others hearsay.
 ,''Ef .we-uns war kilt, hit would hap pen some time, anyways" Coon de- cided, philosophically; and Bud, too, was ready for the experiment.
 The gray light was giving way to. the warmer tints of day, and far down in the valley were now the sights and sounds of everyday life. The boys courage revived under these infiu- ences.
 Coon unfolded his plan. The hunt on the mountain was given up at once; more important work was now on hand. The only exit from the cave was on this ledge, and Coon was to
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