Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-16

to the window. There was lack, with
his two boys and the dogs. lacks HAIR
looked a little gray, but aside from this
he appeared as vigorous as he had been
in years gone by.
The morning was an ideal one for the
hunt Our friends at the gate were
stamping their feet to warm them, ana
their breath on the frosty air was IKE
cuffs of white smoke. Since l moved
to the city cold weather seems to get IN
closer to my bones, and on this partlc
ular morning l confess l craved no
greater comfort than to sit dreamlly IN
front of the open fireplace and innale
the sweet odors of the sizzling sap from
the green oak billets. But the coon
hunt was the piece de resistance on the
outdoor bill of fare had planned on my
visit to the old home, so with sharp axes
on our shoulders and pockets filled with
baked sweet potatoes and Virginia
cracking pone," Williams and joined
the party at the gate.
lack at once led off for the woods.
He was not a poor entertainer. put ne
had one failing--that OF lying-and ne
did that more gracefully than anyone
ever knew Good hearted, honest ana
a member of the church In good stand
ing, he seemed to have no controi over
his imagination, and he had told some
of his yarns until believe ne looked
upon them as facts. Nothing put one
of lack Jones' lies was common say
ing in the neighborhood. yet Aack lett
hurt if anyone questioned ms NeracltS.
Striking the timber land, we began 10
cast about for the track of some coon
that had strayed out of his paliiWich
the night before. This morning the snow
was frozen hard, and the little weeds
and twigs encased in collins of crystal
ice snapped off and ratified down IKE
brittle glass as we brushed them ASIDE.
But in the early hours of the night pc
fore. the white counterpart over the
fields and woods had been SOFT ana
Welding. betraying now the wanderings
of any unlucky varmint that had spent
the night away from home. Goins
down hill and following the clear, gurs-
ling stream, we came to Sycamore Bot
tom. where a legihn of his coonshlp
Travelled nightly. Soon we heard a yen
from lack and FASTENED to him. he
had found the track of coon ana
whopper at that The hide of the coon
that planted that track would be worth
having and we pushed on his trail with
zeal. Up out of the woods we went ana
across a field overgrown with timex
young pines bent down Win ice anu
snow. under which we crawled, scratch
ing our faces and hands anu Se'.iis
icicles down our collars.
After going about mile, the traii
ended abruptly near the foot OF tall
dead oak about three feet In diameter.
lack approached the tree, examined tne
snow all around it, smelt the bark, ana
sauinted at the body from all points OF
the compass The finally announced that
tha gentleman of the ringed tail was
resting in a hollow Indicated by neat,
round aperture about fifty feet up.
Climbing the tree was out OF the ques-
tion. 1t would have to be cut down, ana
we went at it with will. Any one VINO
has tried to fell seasoned oak VIII
have some idea of what we undertook.
The tree had decayed streaks in 1t, put
every now and then our axes struck
sections nearly as hard as iron. Will
Jams tried his turn at cutting, put ne
could rarely hit twice in the same spot,
and when the ak slipped from MS grasp
and came near putting one OF the dogs
out of business. we retired the city axe
man. The tree was perfectly balanced
and no amount of pushing could get 1t
started until we had cut it almost thru.
Nevertheless we did not mind the work,
for there was a prospect of good coon
fight.
After about two hours work, the tree
uuiyered, and stepping back, we held
- orr
sweep and q crash that filled the forest,
the heavy trunk smote the ground,
sending snow and broken branches In
every direction. Releasing the dogs, we
rushed forward. There was no coon in
sight. No doubt he was still in the hol-
low and would have to be cut out. We
started in to examine, and to our dis
gust found that the supposed coon
hollow was nothing more than shall
low cavity pecked by some Industrious
woodpecker, probably on half holiday
when he had nothing special to do. 1t
was too provoking.
Immediately we were all attention
The dogs danced around, whining ca
gerly. How to get the coon out was the
next question. The hollow led down the
tree from the opening, and lack, with
stick that we sent up, industriously
prodded the ribs of the coon, urging
him in emphatic terms to yacate. The
coon evidently thought he had fee
simple title to the premises, and ac-
copied mo- suggestions to leave. After
seeing that lacks efforts were not like
ly to result in getting the game out, we
tried vainly to induce him to leave the
opening, come down the tree to about
where the coon lay and whack on the
trunk, believing that this ruse would
make the animal run out. lack would
retire from his perch, come down few
feet, but after rapping on the tree once
or twice would climb stealthily back
and peep down the hole. Whether the
coon was starting out or not, he woule
put in the stick for more prods.
lacks antics amused us for awhile,
but they grew tiresome. Finally, Wal
lace, the Oldest of the boys, went up to
assist, and found a small cavity under
the bed of leaves, where he inserted
stick to start the coon from that side
Jack could not be persuaded to leave
the upper hollow, and for while we
stood there looking at the ludicrous
spectacle of lack churning his stick III
the upper hole and Wallace working his
industriously in the lower The AMI
NAL evidently had corner into which
he squeezed himself. and after while
both men grew tired of the punching
process. lack withdrew his stuck, ana