The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-09-13

''Hit air plumb Gurus wher hit went"
reflected Bud.
"Ha'nts air made of air. reckon"
Coon brought forward his theory with
considerable confidence. can eff they
air made out'n air they can't hurt a hui
man, 'low."
There was such peculiar note in his
voice that Bud turned around with q
long searching look at him.
"Air We aimin' ter hunt fur the crit
ter?" he whispered, almost trembling
to think Of the profanity Of such a
thing as disturbing ha'nt.
"Ef hit air handy ter do so aim
ter"
Coon spoke with his usual quiet
drawl, but with such deliberate en-
phasis that the assertion carried con-
viction to Buds wondering ears.
EUR sure, Coon2" Bud was awed at
such daring.
"Yes, ef-"
"Yes-ss!"
The boys were on their feet in an in
slant, faced, with dilated eyes, toward
that yawning flssure.
Back there, In the darkness, swayed
a ghostly, grayish figure.
"Yes-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 chung 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 a 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"
can hit war a-mocking' of We, Coon.
low hit war powerful mad at We, fur
aimin' ter hunt it." Buds voice trem-
bled; but he was trying to appear in
different rs to whether the ghost was
angry enough to attempt to injure
them.
"I'm amin 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.
Lies smudge him out, Bud" Coon
said, at last, in low whisper.
Bud turned around in horror at such
daring irreverence.
"Smudge out a ha'nt!" he gasped.
Dye dast, Coon? What'n hit do ter
ye, dye reckon?"
II low we uns mought jest 'speeri-
mint on hit, anyways" Coon returned,
deliberatingly. "Ye see, nobody knows
jest what a ha'nt mought take hit
inter his head ter do. But we uns
could Experiment., an mebbe hit
mought do some good"
Hit mought blast the craps"
"Well, hit mought, but ag'in hit
moughtn't. We-uns would know fur
sure eff hit war that-away then"
"Hit mought kill us dead" Bud ven
tured dismally.
"I'd like mighty well ter jest know
fur certing what ha'nt would do"
persisted Coon. "Granny's alters
a-tellin' about er seeing on 'em, an
nary word about 'em a-doin' nothing,
onless hit war slteerin' somebody
mighty nigh ter death. An l amt
skeery," suggestively, ''ef hit air any
thing else"
uns kin do hit, mebbe."
Bud sighed; but heroic ally deter
mined to follow where his friend might
lead
''An' hit would be mighty satixfyin'
ter know jest what ha'nt 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 influ-
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
guard it while Bud crept around the
rock to narrower part. In former
hunting excursions the boys had often
"smudged," or smoked out, the coons
that had taken refuge in the hole
Bud was to attend to the smudging,
while Coon stood ready with his gun at
the entrance to meet the ha'nt if it
should flee from the smoke.
There amt critter nor yet hui
man ez kin endyure the smoke" Coon
argued. "Mebbe ha'nt kin; but we
uns kin find out fur sure this away"
1t was some time before Bud could
get good fire started at the mouth of
the smaller hole; for it was slow work
gathering dry leaves and twirs to feed