Putnam patriot., 1908-11-27


 the man md boy alike with healthful eisef as tiiey trudged aeress the fields and entered the woods Every brown. 0utafrateted fwig every thy. close wrapbed bud Lad its coping and cap Of peaf gieamfng in sunlight or blue ID shaf0w. md the ranks Of corded wood were ro8fed with |
 The Dew covering Has already mark e.i wlth the tracks of seampering sguir- rels. the bread pads of hares. the ee8uged mlnt 0f the partrIdge's devi 9us course. fhe dainty seam of wood menAe pnths
 Birds gave audible proof that they were asfif and alert now party Of Jays screamed in discordant unison. ehickndees and nuihatehes called and piped. woodpeelsef hammered Indus triously for his hard earned breakfast. n partridge went booming away like gray rocket with a trail of snow cloud 1 sinking softly and silently behind his noisy course. and red squirrel jeered at the two intruders.
 The boys ears and eyes were alert l for all sounds and sights Before he I delivered tie first nx stroke upon the 1 boil of great basswood his attention l wus attracted by strange track that eHded at its foot
 "oh father he cried what kind 1 Of n tracks thisf Ii looks just like 1 little boys bare foot
 aWhy. Key. iis T coon. an he's l lala up for the winter In this here tree See. it.s hollet An there's the hole ID there nj he went In Now.
 we'll jest tete hs pett nailed ur on 1 the wood shed dafr sheuldn't woH i der r fl vas pretfy uirh prime. for ii5H
 had three i.is ta get 70 tn They sas l fnrss good ia eszfs mouth that.s got an r ln t. hnt II aia't-noi in Sep l teuler nor sci ei4 In October m il beafus to III fa,nd In April aeler 1 l=Haa dnea Ba new IFS most Hecam
 tee aa m VII Jest ge faf the fel Ter seeiu at we're Hain te cit dewp half n cord .; wood nt the same liek 1 Lock cut sharp nt the hale when thr tfee comes down. for iike.s uot hell
 cut m ram. We'll fall il right In here
 here it's all clear
 Sa snying. he drove hls ay to the eve in the soft wood. while lsaac with right good wit delivered his less ef.
 fecfive strokes on the other side When Jncuh had driven hts kerf a lit
 tie beyond the decayed center md pave,l the ground about him with broad chips almost ns white as the
 snow he heaved restful sigh and
 went around te the other side,
 "Now. ney. you Just stan ofr out
 there mn keep yonr eye on the hole
 the Hibutc the tree falls an if he | offers to come out fore git there
 whaek him ou the head ''
 Jacah sRal upon his hands and re
 sumed his eheuplng, eSpiratmg with each blow n gasRlag "hah' that seemed
 to double ita fefe an1 lsaac took hls post with eyes fixed on the trunk where the arst branches stretched abroad 1 Now the great tree shisered at every stroke. then tottered on its sapped l foundations and went down with an accelerated sweep and a final crashing l boom.
 | In the succeeding moment of silence | the raceoen se suddenly awakened | from the comfortable winters nap Into which he had just fallen. pro,ruded his black and gray head from the hole and. barely dodging the blow that
 Isaac aimed at him. caue scra mbling
 out with more speed than hts short legs would seem to warrant surer
 blow from the more deliberate hand of | Jacob prevented his escape. With shout of triumph at the un expected sight. Isaac lifted the limp form by the hind leg and heaved t across the fallen trunk
 Stakes alive. father. he's as heavy as a rig You just hcft him," Well. he Is good one-tfteen pounds CT upward." said Jacob after An just feel O the fur-as thick as wool, l reckon his pelt n fetch half dollar. an you shall have it all Now let's skin him fore he gets cold Fl locks socsi r:!a;;ssi io rut- said the boy when the sktnued carcass was
 iali along the trunk. "Ain't coons good to eat.s
 some folks does eat 'em an allows thes're as rnssd as roast nlg '
 "say father. Why can't we have fl i for ThanksgivIn'
 ~She. huh yoar moshcr wouldn't
 touch it She snleens agla al wila meat ever senes ye0r [ rnclc isaac blow, ea aff his farsas heSttms gun shoot
 In a natrl1Ec 2aat hslese she'd cook it ta say uotAia' ef eatla' ef its
 ia !oaks lust as spea ss a plS, aa' don't see why II asn't" persisted Isaac with wistfal eyes apan the sgame Then. inspired hy a naughty thought he said Say. father. why can't we tell mother II Is q pigy'
 '.Sho. huh. that 'ould he iyin'." said his father in mlld reproos as he cut eff rhe feet and long. boay tall But" he