National Baptist world., 1894-09-07

hit" continued the other. "Old Man
Waters, he sez hit come out'n thet hole
an walked over this ledge, an jest
about thutty feet over yam hit jest
drapped plumb out'n sight; an tho he
war a-Iookin' an a-lookin' fur hit ter
come ter sight ag'in hit he'd gone fur
sure"
''Hit air plumb Gurus wher hit went, I"
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 hu-
man, low"
There was such a peculiar note in his
voice that Bud turned around with a
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 l 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.
Fur sure, Coon?" Bud was we'd at
such daring.
"Yes, eff"
"Yes-ss!'
The boys were on their feet in an in
slant, faced, with dilated eyes, toward
that yawning fssure.
Back there, in the darkness, swayed
ghostly, grayish figure.
''Yes-ss, yes-ss, yes-ss!' mocked the
ha'nt. Then its horrible. unearthly
voice died away in a 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. Toe
terrified to stir he gazed, fascina ted,
at the spot where the angered ha mt
had disappeared
Coon's face was still a trife 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"
I
/ low hit war powerful mad at We, fur
amin 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 in jure
| 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.
Les smudge him out, Bud" Coor
said, at last, in low whisper.
Bud turned around in horror at such
daring irreverence.
''Smudge out a ha'nt!' he gasped
"D've dast, Coon? Whatll hit do tel
We, dye reckon?"
Il low we uns mought jest 'speeri
mint on hit, anyways" Coon returned
deliberatingly. ''Ye see, nobody know
Jest what ha'nt mought take hi
inter his head ter do. But we un:
could Experiment., an mebbe hi
mought do some good"
Hit mought blast the craps"
well, hit mought, but ag'in hi
moughtnt. We-uns would know flu
sure eff hit war that-away then"
Hit mought kill us dead" Bud ven
tured, dismally.
I'D like mighty we'll ter jest know
fur certing what ha'nt would do,
persisted Coon. "Grannys aller
a-tellin' about er seeing on 'em, an
nary a word about EN- a-doin' nothing
onless hit war slzeerin' somebod,
mighty nigh ter death. An | ain
skeery," suggestively, ''ef hit air any
thing else"
Nav, an | amt, neither. Well, we
uns kin do hit, mebbe."
Bud sighed; but ically deter
mined to follow where his friend nigh
lead.
An hit would be mighty satixfyin
ter know jest what a ha'nt war mad
of, an jest what he war obligated te
do" Coon again asserted.
In spite of his deliberate manner h
was plucky little fellow, utterly fear
less where ha'nts were not concerned
and of too inquiring a turn Of mind t
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 t
the warmer tints Of day, and far dow
in the valley were now the sights an
sounds of everyday life. The boys
courage revived under these infu
enceS.
Coon unfolded his plan. The hun
on the mountain was given up at once
, more important work was now O.
hand. The only exit from the cav
was on this ledge, and Coon was t.
guard it while Bud crept around tn
rock to a narrower part. In forme
hunting excursions the boys had ofte
''smudged," or sm oked out, the coon
that had ia ken refuge in the hole
. Bud was to attend to the smudgine
while Coon stood ready with his gun a
the entrance to meet the ha mt II
+ should flee from the smoke.
, There amt critter nor yet III
: man eZ kin endyure the smoke" Coo