The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-22

in the circle, and OCCASIONALLY one would
skip up and take a nip at the leg of the
calf.
The coons weren't disposed to abandon
the held to Gailop and his lantern. The
FARMER got pitchfork from the barn and
sailed into the tormentors of the calf, The
coonS turned their attention to the man
and he had to scratch pretty lively r.
Keep them from getting the best of him
He hammered and punched with the fork
until he had killed eleven coons. then
the others quit. They had chewed the
calf so badly that it was necessary to
kill it.
Trap has had some interesting expert
ences during his life in the swanops here
abouts, and 1T is a wonder that he "a ain
living. Several years ago he came very
near starving to death in Peck's woods
he would have gone under probably If IL
hadn't been for his dog. Gus was out one
moonlight night coon hunting. He had
had pretty good luck, when Spiel struck
the track Of coon in what is known az
Gray's basin. The animal took a coursa
for Peck's woods, and it was there that II
took refuge in the top of a big chestnut
tree Gus could see the coon stretched
out on limb, but he was unable to get a
shot at it. so he decided to climb the tree
and knock the animal off the limb to the
ground, where Spiel would make short
WOth Oh
With club stuck in his belt, Gus shin
ned up the tree, and soon reached the limb
on which the coon was stretched. The
man crept carefully In the direction of the
animal, which slowly moved away toward
the end of the limb. Gus couldn't reach
the coon with his club, but he thought he
could throw 1t and hit the animal with
force enough to knock 1t to the ground.
Sitting astride the limb. he took careful
aim and let the club drive. 1t hit the coon
and knocked 1t off the limb, but Gus didn't
know that, until some time afterward.
for when he threw the club he lost his
balance and went tumbling down through
the branches toward the ground, about
thirty feet below. He tried to catch hold
of limb as he went down, but failed. and
he would probably have been seriously
hurt had not the stub of a broken limb
caught In his belt and stopped his descent.
Unfortunately, the limb had slipped under
the belt back of Gus, and he found himself
suspended face downward, with no limb
within reach and no way of freeing him
self. The ground was about fifteen feet
away, but he couldn't reach IT, Spiel
danced and capered around under his mas
ter, and dragged the body of the coon that
he had shaken the life out of to where
Gus could see 1t, but the man was not in
position to admire either the dead coon
or the live dog
1t was about midnight when Gus was
strung up, and he hung there till noon the
next day. The belt was a wide leather az
fair. and for a time was comfortable. but
1t finally became painful, and the man
suffered fearfully. He tried to unbuckle
the belt, but the buckle had slipped around
beyond his reach, and he had no knife
with which to cut 1t. All he could do with
any degree Of success was to hang there
Along about II O'Clock the peculiar posi-
ton which his master was in seemed
to dawn on the dog, and he quickly disap-
peared. Gus concluded that the animal
had abandoned him, and he shouted at
the top of his voice. He kept this up un-
til he became so hoarse and weak that ne
could hardly utter a sound, but r2'ody
came to his rescue. Gus suddenAy lost
consciousness, and when he came To he
saw three Of his neighbors under the tree