Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-25

OF the water. and move it about-and wait"
Huh / see myself" exclaimed Drusilla
| resentfuly.
Hush up" said Buster John; hes talk
ing about coons."
We'll, some folks call niggers coons," re-
piled Drusilla.
"All 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, and in reaching
you have to be quicker than the tish-and
fish are mighty quick. But a gnawing
stomach (dag ig lublum; literally crying
-meat-thing) makes quick hand.
We'll, nanny was trying to teach us all
these things, and we were learning very fast
She took US with her when the sun was low
or when it had just gone away, and, though
the fight was trying to our eyes, we did very
well. Once nanny heard dog barking, and
she hurried US home making us run as hard
as we could. l asked her what the trouble
was, and she said ii was the barking of the
dog that scared her, and she told us that
when were older and heard dog bark
we must hurry home by a roundabout way
and run in the water whenever we could, be-
cause dogs had a way of smelling where we
went along and following US wherever We
went; and if they followed us home they d
sit at the foot of the tree and bark until
man would come with a sharp cut-thing and
hit the tree until it fell.
"All these things we learned, and a great
many more but you know what fool things
young things are"
II amt oil. but l know I amt no fool"
interrupted Drusilla.
20, will you hush?" cried Buster John.
You know what fool things young things
are" repeated Mr.. Coon. They listen 10
what their elders say and think it is moth
ing but talk. The young thing is always
smarter thing than the old thing, and some
times he is too smart. l remember that one
night / slipped away from the others after
nanny had been gone long time. / was
careful TO make no noise on the tree but
when l reached the ground l felt so happy
that jumped in the air and whirled around
for Joy. The air was cool and fresh, the
swamp smelt good and the dark was fine.
I could see everything ever so much better
than when the big shine-thing is blazing
over the trees.
80 / shook myself and started for the
pond in the swamp. There I caught some
small FISH and they tasted ever much
better than those nanny brought home.
| Then ! wandered out of the swamp and
went on the hill where the brambles are,
hunting for birds and birds nests. / found
two birds and one nest with tiny eggs in II
and the eggs tasted so nice that ] wanted
I more and / went rambling all over the hill
ever so far. Suddenly j heard a dog bark.
The sound OF 1t made me shake and shiver
and ! stood listening Presently I heard
the bark again and 1t was so close at hand
that it sounded like a dreadful roaring"
4 ~ u,
suggested Druslla.
Mr.. Coon, with his eyes half shut, for he
was sleepy, kept right on the track of his
narrative.
"A dreadful roaring. went away from
there as fast as my legs could carry me
and ran right TO the swamp I could hear
the dog coming, too, and far off ! could
hear some one crying out"
That was the man cheering the dog"
Buster John explained.
The dog" said Mr.. Coon. Seemed 10
be coming closer and closer, and ! began
10 run harder than ever. ! remembered that
my nanny had ssI5 something about water
and dogs, and ! ran straight for the big
pond in the swamp; the Son of Ben Ali
also knows where il is. | Slipped into the
water and swan 10 the middle, where
there's a stump OF an old tree, l had hardly
D
the bank OF the pond, and began TO whine
and bark, He ran around TO see II had
gone out on the opposite side and then he
caught sight OF me. He jumped into the
water with a great splash, and when ! saw
him coming fear seemed 10 leave me. !
climbed upon the stump, and when he came
near ! jumped on his head and bit him on
the neck with all my might. He went
under, but / turned him loose and came
TO the top and swan round and round He
came up trying to shake the water from his
ears. and they tapped on the pond like
the wings OF a duck that is trying 10 rise
in a hurry. Before he got through Tapping
had Jumped on his head again. and when
he went down / clswed him with my hind
feet He tried TO cry out, but all he could
do was TO make bubbles on the water.
jumped on his head twice after his, and the
third time he never came up any more. ! /
went out on the bank, shook the water of .
my clothes. and cantered toward home. As
I vent sloug, feeling very proud, ] heard I
the man calling his dog. First be blew