The sun., 1896-10-25
COON HUNTERS ARE HAPPY
Lots OF SPORT GOING ON THESE
hTGHTS IN CONNECTICUT.
Tho Hunber's Moon Is shin,nE and Mea
ana Does Are Out In the Woods
COINS, Rig and Fat, That Are Making
Fensts for Nutmeg State fportsmen.

| ana Doua Are Out In the woods
| COINS, Rig and Fat, That Are Making
| Fensts for Nutmeg State sportsmen.
Norwich, Oct. 24.-cto ons abound. At no
time in the last TWENTY-FIVE years have they
been more plentiful in the Nutmeg State. But
| toned In his thick. rough Jacket. the coon hun
ter is happy and jolly: II is his harvest time Of
the year. The polished, smooth-faced Harvest
doon now shines all night. The evening chores
| Lave been done. supper has been eaten; and
| from many n brown old farm house among the
| hills, from rural villages, and even from tho
towns. tho coon hunters in bands stride across
| the frosted fields. prime coon dog or two
| bounding along ahead In search of the ring
tailed game One of the men bears pair Of
| sinking climbing irons. which later OH he may
clamp to his ankles in order to scale n thick
plumed pine or soaring woodland giant IL the
coon betakes himself into treetop, whence n
| qua shot may not dislodgc him. Another carries
!, a brecch-loader- than one gun to n party
is not desirable in coon hunting; still mot. er
keen. slim b, AIDED axe. with which, IL need be,
tp fell some big-bellicd and hollow chestnut, II
the gamo hns pocketed himself therein.
Wipes are lighted. Forward. march! The
met step brisklv and lightly over the cracking
stubtNe; the pungent odor OF burning tobacco
seasons the frosty air. The hound, conrsing
still in advance, silent, phantom-like. so swift
and ste althy his movements, suddenly plunRes
| into the wood, which rises, solid wall OF
blacknese' riSlt aheaa. Inc oaho CO. 'oo'
strasgiihv' ou1 q"le heh'nE io. 10 Se' 'h'i' ~
ueriy' JoRNlro' walk ho" "u" 'ien' VI e'"'S
through uaseeh thicke's' ior Tue siau""s vi 'ue
moohHl loaest are peFp'eAihS " 'he 'ho'' sNii
ful woodrAisSefe. Fre'oh'S' away W 'ie ris"'
or the !eit' ihiSoe. tue oos eNes 'o"Sue oii'o
or twice. out not CONTINUOUSLY OIL 'he ''a''' LOT
| the faultlcss coon dog is about as noseless in
tracking his quarry as is the game itself. The
hunters arc now all alive ana alert; ana IL s a
! heltcr-skelter, pell-mrll, reckless, darling.
! every-man-t tot himself, luad onset through the
-, = ,--..-.-...,,. .t..,. .,..a,,., .-..,
seen''nkN ''n''netF"oio 'i'hoer snious" n"Hei ,
a., copses that claw at mans face, thr ,ugh miry.
| plashinx alder swamps, apparently endless:
-, '..''.,,i,I -, s rn,,i,,,I Iii or,
ever woooclau upland and lowlanu, mus anu
hNgbacks- down long forest paths. across moon
be Am notified d.lls and shining glades. en-. un-
,', -, - - IL, . -.
aalt. and all. breuthlessly. hearken for another
call f,om the ranging hound.
Now then, they are or again, and so on. for
half hour or more. pausinE -ften to listen
for soun is of the chase, until at length the in
cessaht. eSuitaht paSihE OF the dog prociains
that the g,Ine has been treed. At the base of
80 y. " Il-,.'.,,,
chestnut tn" hunters ma their uneFrinS guido
bo,e his ,xa,,,bful oxpectant eyes fastened
@ ..o'.' ms way, n,ha. .a .as'oa
'NS N'''S'
pace too iust IH reetlcssly. staring at the sable
hume aloft. at, the winkine lights in the
-" , 80 W
star-spangled skl'-stare so long and strongly
that thir neck Joints creak and ache. their
eyes swim with water, and the yellow old
mai In the moon seems TO DO utterihS anu
turning handsprings uboat the tirnlam,n' Aud
go -, ~ -, ,,ta. - ,.,,, 80,
espies hauEht IN tie likeness oil coon or other
hlscL,.ss unliftot from \, IN tOD ,c.t nhova
., % 1'',r.e1 ~ ,'oNN ~ NV wv "'o,e
moon go on with their tn>perating capcrs.
But the coon Is M th,rs sure as shooting.
;rrs"k OF = brndl"- brlliei chicken stealcr vet.
When ne lust parks once even u hot another
bark. good and strong, ike he did Just now.
you can bet your hat he's got the partickler
coon, which he mas been entertaining. AL ripe
ana ready 70 DICK.
...sonething must be done"
Very true, but what!
LIGHT Sn IsaI' bs bIreom hrs rSqsGT G %, aaa
let Jim pop hi" over; lie got tLs best eye
Well nov. that's talking: why didn't
SO the boys scurry about. and cap up stacks
of hrewocd. and presently roSing ronhre
many dusEy dell and forest recess. white the
IeapinS, hrelight kiadies H. in Che dark pine
the duii green hue OF Its spindliAs needa.
.hne Inc ,hu,.srs ;na resGm, thsir nervous tnnmp
OF tho good eye. gun over forearm ale:t TO act.
stalks stalks m , the middle ground. or Sudden he
htNie' ms SaHc 10 iAcu u pulT Ol bteA W,
GleatninG eye9atls th.t are Ike glowing spArl 8,
IN the ne1tea foliage OF the remote and somhre
ing OF the warning note. stops, motonlea'.
ana ceases TO nay. and SILENCE falls on t.e
bolsterous band, who forthwith arrest thetr
bustling footsteps. sh.'' again; this time from
compani' near by, who WHISPERS:
Aim Just Ielow the eye oals, Jim, two
inches below. TO KILL"
Jim mods. but makes no other answer: ne
knows e the S %ay too 90 well from practical expert
comes slowly TO level. rests as steadily as a |
steel par Tor an Instant IN Jims iron grip: there
ls herce report. rattlihg through the tranquil !
Woodland. and nearly two ounces Of heavy shot /
are hurled into The tree top. The smoke clears |
away. The lar away sparks in the pine nave !
Disappeared; and Il soft, bulky. plant body 10 |
Topping down thereiron. swaying masses of
the quiNerlng foliage, as II internationally
plunges on, clutching momentarily, here and
there. ut u giant tree limb. In a moment or
TWO taxes lis final ~ nble from nethermost
miIhtiest branches. drots an inert. limp nass
on the earth. Now the hound takes tumble,
several ot them out OF the unrrsstinE game
The uansit"ry bonfire hns flashed and famed