Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1906-08-23
JOHN DORTCH and CLAUD GRAkTHAM
Take The "BOys' Out On a Coon Hunt

John Dortch to take them with him
coon hunting.
John and Claud Grantham are old
hands at the business and knowing the
young "tenderfoots' would squeel,
they desisted for time, bat finally
yielded to repeated persuasion.
Knowing the swamps and low
which would be an opportune time to
give the boys a dose never to be for
gotten, John and CIaud called up their
six thoroughbred dogs, and notifying
the party-Messrs. John Dortch, Claud
Grantham, "Dick" Freeman, Leonard
Edwards, Emmett GulIey and John
King-were soon off on a coon hunt.
AS the party proceeded on their
journey, everything was laughter and
merriment-the ''boys" were beside
themselves with joy at the thought OF
an opportunity to go hunting with the
two old warriors" who usually bag"
coon and o'pOssum galore, and for
every ten steps-first Leonard Edwards
then "Dicl1" Freeman would yell to be
heard clear to tOwn-and this of course
inspired the dogs to greater activity,
which were by this time no less than 8
miles in the wood.
After two hours hunt through mud
and water, briars and dense woods, the
dogs had done nothing and it was
plainly observable that some of the
I
while John winked at Claud and sped
on.
At length, when about five miles from
town, the dogs struck a trail and this
somewhat relieved the monotony for no
one had spoken for full Is minutes
John and CIaUd were getting tired, too.
When the old hound struck up and
was followed by the five younger ones,
there was music in the air and some
one gave two or three keen hollows and
| everybody made q break in the direc-
ton of the dogsland after lively chase,
during which they were scratched by
briars and covered with mud, the dogs
lost the track and the whole fix found
themselves III swamp, surrounded by
mud and water, with nothing but Cy-
press knees and slick Cypress logs, and
! here the fun began:
John Dortch led with Come on,
boys, while Claud Grantham tried to
follow. Some were taking il rough and
tum ble-mostly tumble-whiIe others
tried in vain to walk the logs. 'Dick"
Freeman, sympathetic on all occasions,
stopped to pull out John King and En-
NETT Gulley, who had fallen off log
and were up to their chin in water,
while Leonard Edwards was working
like beaver trying to crawl q log,
minus the bark, on his ''aIl fours''.
All this time John Dortch was on the
other side just rolling ON the ground.
Finally all gotout-as they thought
and continued on their journey when
some one says, "Hush, what't that?
and they stopped and Claud was vel
ling for every breath, Boys, don't
| leave me, I'm coming"
After they had safely arrived on land,
the hunt was resumed, and realizing
! that thyre were no coons out John and
! Claud-who had become fustra ted by
/ getting surrounded by water-Iad for
got that it was on the program to hunt
snipe also so ''Dick'' Freeman and
Leonard Edwards We're each supplied
with bag and one stationed al one enc
Of the ditch and the other at the other
end, and John King and Emmett Gul-
/ ley We're sent to drive, and John Dortch
and Ciaud Grantham came on home.
On the way, John started TO cross a
fence and went to sleep on top Of the
rails and Claud was SO fatigued that he
sat down by him and slumbered until
John woke him up and they fastened
on to town while the other party We're
still hunting snipe.
Leonard and "Dick" got home about
breakfast time and Leonard went to
bed and never got up any more until
supper time, and 'Dick'' hasn't been
seen since.
When John told Ed Tew about it he
Just followed and rolled over on the
ground.
The ''boys'' say that they would not
care so much for the rough fare if they
could have bagged a coon.
It's all right to talk to them about
the coon hunt, but don't mention about
the snipe, 'taint safe.