The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1900-07-05

game was to play postum on him, but
hope l shall never hev sich another
two hours while live. That bar
wanted good time. He was feelin
good natured, an he jest tried all sorts
of circus tricks with me. He'd roll me
over ag'in the wall with a bang, an
then arter a chuckle he'd roll me back
with flop. He didn't bite at all, but
every time he put his claws on to me
they went through the cloth. be-
lieve that varmfnt turned me over 80
times befo' he got a little tired Of 1t.
I was playin dead all the time an
didn't know what mint he'd git mad
an set out to finish me. He finally got
thirsty an jumped off the bed an went
To the water pail on the bench an lap
ped away fur ten minits. / had my
eyes open all the time an was anxious
to git away, but was afeared of him.
couldn't fight him barehanded an
stand any show.
ST jest laid thar till the varmint had
quenched his thirst an looked around,
an then he come back ag'in. The cir
Gus was only half over. He was so
rough at times that almost yelled out
with the pain, an between the clawin
an the skeer wasn't much better than
dead man. The mewl smelt of bar
an kept up a tremendous brayin, an
the old woman heard the noise when
she was yit a mile away. Bimeby,
when the varmint had had show
with the price Of admission, he settled
down fur rest. l was then lyin with
my face to the wall, an he planted all
four feet ag'in my back an kept up a
sort of purrin. He had me crowded
ag'in the cabin logs till I could hardly
breathe, an l had made up my mind
that I'd never tree another coon when
the old woman got back from preachin.
The old mewl was kickin an brayin, an
she seen the tracks Of the bar leadin
into the cabin. She stood In the doah
an got sight of the varmint on the bed,
an she did a thing which no man on
these yere Cumberland mountings
would hev attempted. Thar was no
gun at hand to shoot with, an her only
show was to tale that bar by sur
prise. That's what she did. She tip
toed up to the bed an fastened her fin
gers in his fur, an, though he was a
hefty load, she carried him to the doah
IN dumped him out. l never knowed
she was home till she pulled the bar
away. AS l riz up the astonished var
mint WAS maxim fur the woods, while
he old woman hadn't even turned
pale.
'Was-was it a b'arY | asked as
she took off her sunbonnet an began to
.latter the stove.
"'Of eo'se,' she keerlessly replied.
"'An what did yo' do with him?
"Jest dumped him outdoahs. Pears
to me yo've bin hevin heaps Of fun.
Most of yo'r clothes hev bin clawed off,
the bedquilts chawed to rags. an yo'
ar blood from head to heel. Mebbe
yo' was learnin that bar a lot Of
tricks?
81 tried to git out of bed to hug her
an praise her spunk," explained Zeb to
me, "but l was so weak that l fell
down. She never let on to mind me,
an had to help myself up. Bimeby
got over to a cheer an dropped into it
an asked;
"'Did yo' find the preachin, an was
it good?'
"'Powerful good she answered, but
1t wasn't bout coons or bars. Any.
thing wantin Of me befo' puts the kit
tie onY
"'Tm wantin yo' to help me doctor
up bout fo' hundred scratches, an I'm
also wantin to be forgiven fur my re-
marks bout coons.'
"'How is it, Zeb? she said as she
turned on me. When the Lawd dun
put long tail on a coon, was it fur
the likes of pore human critters to kick
about itY
Reckon not-not skassly.'
"'An how bout bars? Mebbe yo'
find fault bekase the Lawd made 'em
bobtailed?'
"'I haven't word to say ag'in it,
Jest goin to let the long tails an
the bobtails ramble around as the
Lawd made 'em to rambler
THAT'S It,
"'An goin to hear preachin when
thar is preachin at the skulehouse?'
eur suah.'
Then I'll warm up some coon's fat
an grease yo'r hurts, an yo' jest let
this be powerful warnin to yo' not to
End any mo- fault with the Lawd's
way Of doin things. 1t was fur him to
put long tails on coons an foxes an
bobtails on bars an wildcats, an yo'
jest keep yo'r CAB still bout it an reck-
on to consider that it was all fur the
best" M. QUAD
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