The morning times., 1897-02-14

would listen until he knew whether the
cry came from Jim Simmons ''nigger
dogs from the GoSsett hounds, or from
some other pack. If at night, the swamp
cared little about it, for it was used to
these things after the sun went down.
Mr.. Coon insisted on gadding about, and
it served him right, the swamp insisted
| when the hounds picked up his drag-as
the huntsmen say-and brought him home
with q whirl. He was safe when he got
there, for let the hounds bay at the door of
his house as long as they might, no hunter
with torch and axe would venture into the
Swamp. They had tried it-oh, many
times.
Butthe door was lOckedand key
Was safely hid in a hollow tree.
If it was merely Cousin Coon, who lived
| up the river, well and good. 1t would
teach the incurable vagrant a lesson, and
| the Swamp enjoyed the fun. The Willis
Ministers stopped to listen, the mysteries
! hid behind the trees, and the Jack-o'-
| the-Lantern cXtinguiShed his torch as the
| hounds came nearer with their quavering
| cries Was it Mr.. Coon or Cousin Coon?
| Why Cousin Coon, of course? How did the
| Swamp know? 1t was the simplest thing
| in the world. Wasn't there splash and
| a splutter as he ran into the quagmre?
Wasn't there snap and snarl when the
partridge peavine caught his foot? Did
| he know the paths? Didn't he double and
| turn and 60 back the way he came, to be
| caught and killed on dry land? Would Mr..
| Coon, of the Swamp, ever be caught on
dry land? Don't you believe itl If cut off
| from home, he would run to the nearest
pond and plunge in. once there, was there
I a hound that would venture to take ba tn
| with him? The Swamp laughed at the
thought of such thing Aaron smiled,
the White Pig gTunted. and Rambler grimm
ed. Cousin Coon is no more, but Mr.. Coonis
| safe at home, and the Swamp knows it.
Good luck TO all who know the way,
BY crooked path and swinging vine!
For them Nights messengers shall stay,
For them the laggard moon shall shine.
| But is was not always that aliens and
strangers Were unwelc ONE. Occasionally in
the still EouIs between midnight and dawn
| the Swamp would open its doorsto Gossett's
| Riley He had 10 key, and he had never
come TO know and feel that the Swamp was
something more than 4 mixture of mud and
! water trees, canes, vines ard all manner
| To him the Swamp was merely a place
! and rot n thing, but this was ignorance,
and the Swamp forgave it for various rea
sons Forgave it and pitied him as he de
served to be pitied. And set he had quail
| tiles out OF the common, and for these the
| Swamp admired him. He was little more
| thana dwarf, being 'towlegged andchuckle-
| headed us SuSy's Sam used 10 say a nd
| rr-oS Callai CHUNKY Rt1pv tur very nch of
| a man for all that. Alta log rolling there
| was not Il negro for miles around who could
| pull him Gown with the handstick. Aaron
could do it, hut Aaron was not negro, but
Aaron was not a negro, but an Arab, and
an Arab, and that is sdifferent. Chunky Riley
was stronger niimb and body than Aaron,
but a al on used his head as well as body and
limb and that is ais different. Riley was
| not swift OF foot, but he could run far as
Gossett's hounds well knew. More than
that. he could 60 on all-fours almost as fast
as he could run on two legs. and that was
something difficult to do.
The Swamp found Chunky Riley out in a
very curious way. The first time he came
| to bring a message to Aaron lie waited for
no introduction whatever. The Willis
WhistIers warned him. but he paid no at
| tenUlon To uie1F WdIlhhS, tbe mysteries
whispered to him, but his ears were closed
He searched for no path, and was blind
to all tile signals. He blundered into the
Swamp and floundercd toward the knoll as
the Spaniards did. He floundered out of
the quagmirc neaf where the White Pig
lay He had the scent and all the signs
OF an alien, and the White Gruitcr rushed
at him with open mouth. The Swamp was
now angry from center to circumference.
and poor Chunky Rileys ending would
have been swift and sudden but for the
fact that he bore some undeveloped kinship
to the elements that surrounded him.
AS tie White Pig rushed forward with