Daily camera. [volume] (Boulder, Colo.) 1891-1928, 1899-09-07
A WISE COON THIS
Deceived Two Dogs by Jumping UA
der a Fence u Coon and Com
ing Out . Rabbit.

been cham plOn coon hunter OF the Pee
Dee country. Scores of willy ringtails
have fallen victim to his cunning and
stories OF his exploits have been spread
far and wide by sportsmen who accom-
panied him on his hunts. Duckers from
the north and west regard a coon hunt
with Martin as one of the features OF
their outing. He guarded corn patches
and hen roosts against midnight depre-
dations, and farmers are distressed now
that he has forsworn coon hunting.
\ few nights ago he took several deep
pulls at a dispensary bottle and strad-
died sack of coffee in Ben Edge
grocery to give his reasons for swear
ing off, as something due the commun-
ity.
1T happened this way" he began.
THE fellows as / took hunting told
coon stories in newspapers and sent me
the papers all ink marked. l came al
most to believe their yarns and thought
| was smarter than any coon that ever
shucked an ear of corn. To ketch coons
you got to remember they are wise
and you are fool; else you can't start
low down to get around their tricks.
freeing, shaking down and a light will
do for she coons. lie coons is different.
Besides their strength and endurance,
every one has his own way TO dodge
dogs.
Not long ago Jim Dickson sent me
word that he coon was eating all his
corn down in a bottom next the swamp.
He knew ii was he coon cause lie
couldn't ketch him. l took General Lee
and Stonewall Jackson over TO help
Jim out. General Lee is a cur with
little hound and little p'inter in him,
and Stonewall jackson is a half hound
and a half bull. They've got sharp
noses, pluck, endurance, strength and
character enough not TO run rabbits
foxes or possums under no carcum-
stances. Best of all, they don't get
jealous like real officers in the milin-
tary.
Me and the dogs ran that coon
through water, boys, rattan, grape
vines, brambles, canebrakes and
cypress knees, and would we run him
through the Atlantic ocean if it had
been in the swamp instead of somewhere
else. Every time General Lee and
Stonewali jackson trailed out to high
land and lost the scent at a rail fence.
| tried all manner of circling and hold
ing General Lees nose along the top
rail, but had TO give ii up for a bad
job. One night ] made niger stand
nj the fence to see what the coon did
with himself. Sambo, that's his name.
IL.
under the fence, turned around and
came out a rabbit. All the niggers got
scared. They took il into their heads
was chasing my grandfathers ghost.
The thing did look kinder curious. but
l made up my mind to ketch him any
how, though Jim's corn was safe in the
crib and mine wasn't.
Il wore ont both dogs, and had to fall
back on ours. Curlike, when the coon
went under the fence and the rabbit
came out, they lit off after him. yelping
like they were trailing a box car full
of coons. ] went home powerful mad at
cur dogs. Next night went again with
ours, cause ] was bound to keep things
lively. II took holt of me TO letch that
soon like a leech takes holt of rot
ten log. And we caught him. That is,
tho ours got in a fight with him under
the fence, and | busted his brains out
with club before he had time to lick
them and get away.
THE thing seemed simple enough
after i found out. hut it showed how
much sense he coon can have. \ rab-
bit had his bed under the fence, into