The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-25

I nh
- - 1t was TO sleep in that soft warm
p,aOe. Ihere were four others besides
ms mi AN ana we used to sleep close together
~ our nanny came home We were al
Ways awake when she came for we could
neat her climbing the tree, and then. IL il
s was not raining, she'd SIT on the outside,
| t TOM Try ner feet and clothes with her
eDuIs9e. Sometimes we'd get impatient
ana pegin TO cry, and once one OF the
otnsIs went to the door; the slap he got
htlaue nun squeal, and none of US ever
70 the door. But, myl How hungry and
ahsfy used TO get while nanny sat out
o were Cleaning her feet and drying her
Clothes. But she always took her own
time, and then, when she came in. what a
scramble lheTe was for the right teat
Eine was the middle one, but | always
ndu 20 claw and be clawed before l could
ge5 II. We We're all ravenous, and never
ga get as much food as 1 wanted at one
tme TIL came here. I think our kind
are born hungry, and kept hungry that
follow u.s.
The first thing really remember was
once when | heard a bird chirping and
wAlsting right at our very door l trem-
pied and shook all over. The others were
asleep and was glad of it. Shaking and
trembling, l crept to the door, and there,
IiSht at me, was bird with a long bill,
winch he was poking under the bark.
Sbiverlng and shaking, l Jumped on him.
but came near failing TO the ground. He
was stronger than he seemed to be, and he
lAetN CldNSi LOO lie CancnGQ me WIN these,
ana beat me over the head with his wings,
hut l didn't mind that. l didn't mind
anything. / shook no longer. felt my hair
rising on my back; l heard myself growl.
L dldn,t know why, but / was furious. /
crushed the bird in my teeth until his wings
ceased TO move; but l was stiil angry;
had tasted blood; l had made my first kin
If one Of the others had come out lust then
l think he would have been sorry. But
they were all frightened by the noise and
were huddled in the farthest corner. Then,
when was no longer angry, but proud,
went 10 The door carrying the bird in my
teeth. They smell the blood and rushed at
me, and then there was a fightn'
why, you Were lighting your own broth
ers and ssiers!" said Sweetest Susan, Sc
verely.
so would you, if you were of my kind"
replied Mr. Coon. There was fight but
they all got piece of the bird. After that
we We're changed: 1t seemed as If we had
been asleep all the time, and something
had suddenly awakened US. Then nanny
came home She shifted around and smelt
the blood and saw the feathers. She nosed
under US as we lay and rooted us out of
the way, but she found nothin' more than
feathers. Wen. l declared! she Cried
who's been bringing you a bird?
=" Is that what you call bird" asked
one of the others, and when she said it
was, they an squalled out, ., nanny,
nanny! Fetch us some more! Nanny
fetch US some morev
but she kept on asking, Who brought
this enc? Who brought this one" l sad
nothing, but the others looked at me AMI
said l was the one that brought the bird.
Where did you get it?' nanny asked
Il told her I had grabbed the bird, and
though she said hing she seemed 70 pc
my hair with her tongue. great deal
longer than she ever did before. After
that, she began TO bring us birds and
frogs, and once she brought us big fish,
"Frogsg' cried Drusilla. you hear dat?
Not the kind that live on land" ex-
planned Mr. Coon, making wry face, but
the kind that hide on the bank of the
creek and jump in when they hear you
coming. You have to take many long and
Fish are easier to catch. You turn your
back 10 the creek, let the tip of your
tail touch the TOP of the water, and move
ID about-and wait.
Hush up!5 said Buster John; hes talk
ing about coons. .
s'Wen. some folks call niggers coons,"
aAil this time" Mr. Coon continued, pay
ing no attention to the interruption, you
leave your body turned half around so
YOU can see what is going on in the water
When the fish shows himself you reach
down and firt him out on the bank, ana
in reaching you have TO pc quicker tnan
the fsh-and fish are mighty quick. But
a gnawing stomach dag g lublub; liter
ally, g-for-meat-thing) makes quick
hand. .,t -,
all these things and we were learning very
fast. She took US with her when the
sun was low or when il had just gone
away, and, though AZ the ngnt Was 'r Gnee
nanny heard dog barking, and she hur-
ried us home, making us run as hard qs
we could. / asked her what the trouble
was and she said it was the barking OF
me dog that scared her, and she told us
that when we were older and heard dog
bark we must hurry home by rounda-
bout way, and run in the water WheneVer
we could because dogs had way or
smelling where we went along ana folloW-
inc MS wherever we went; and II they foi-
lowed us home they'd sit at the foOt OF
The tree and bark until man would come
with sharp cut-thing and nit the Tree
until it fell.
"Au these things we learned, and a
great many more but you know "nat
fool things young things are;
II ami oil but / know L amt no
fool" interrupted Drusilla.
"Oh win you hush?" cried Buster John.
"Yon know what fool things young
things are" repeated Mr.. Coon. They lis
len to what their elders say and think i
Is nothing but talk. The young thing IS
always smarter shins - th ian smart .ns on
renenober that one night l slipped away
from the others after NANNY had Desh
gone long time l was carelul 70 maze
no noise on the tree, but when reach-
"a The ground / felt so happy that l
innned In the air and whirled around for
3ov The air was cool ana fresh, the
swamp smelt good, and the dark was fne.
I Gould see everything ever so much bet
ter than when the big shine-thing is biaz-
ing over the trees.
$50 | shook myself and started for the
nond In the swamp. There / caught some
small Ash, aud they tasted ever so much
heller than those nanny brought home.
Tben 7 wandered out OF the swamp and
went on the hill where the brambles are,
hunting for birds and birds nests. 1
found Two birds and one nest with tiny
eggs in IT, and the eggs tasted so nice
tbsf | wanted more. and / went rambling
ali over the hill ever so far. Suddenly
I heard a dog bark. The sound Of IL
made me shake and SILVER. and l STOOD
listenjng. Presently | heard the Dark
again, and il was so close al hand that
n sniinded like a dreadful roaring"
II boun' you had ter hump yo'se'f den"
suggested Drusllla.
Mr Coon, with his eyes half shut, for he
was sleepy, kept right on the track of his
narrative. -. -.
frona there as fast as my legs could carry
me, and ran right to the swamp ! could
hear the dog coming too; and, far off
coiild hear some one crying out
@rhat was the man cheering the dos
Rustcr John explained.
1The dog" said Mr.. Coon, seemed to
ba coming closer and closer. and / began
- nm harder than ever. ] remembered