Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-04-03

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other occupant besides the raccoon.i
Abijah Williams was there, filing his
sacks with Jonas Warmers chestnuts
II was impossible for those outside to-
see his lantern light. And as stiffness
nsigned inside the cave Abijah was un-I
aware Of the proximity Of the coon
hunters.
After hs had filled his bags the still
ness o. the place began to affect him.
he sat thsce questioning whether he,
was engaged In q brilliant act Of re-,
taliatton or IN q mean theft. For the,
6rst time since the trouble began,
shout the pelts he reviewed the affair."
without prejudice. At last he resolved
to 60 to Jonas IN the morning and
talk the whole thing over amicably.
He emptted the bags. replaced the
nuts as he had found them and was,
about to leave the place when a vol
ume or suhocating smoke suddenly is,
sued from the interior OF the cavern.
He was astonished. Had the bars,
den turned out to be q volcano2 Was
an earthquake shock about to crush,
Abijah fed for his life.
As he crawled on his hands and
knees through the assure to the outer
part Of the den he heard a scratching
noise behind him. 1t was the raccoon.
which was being driven toward the
outer air by Chute's smudge.
The three hunters outside had 1ust
listened to a Wild tale from Chute
when the acute ears Of Hiram detected
sound inside the bars den. :,
ITS the coon? cried he. "See! The
smokes comm through! Let the dogs
/ gor'
what ais the dogs7 They act sol
scarf. I reckon Chute's story must 'aS
frightened EN-" said Uncle Hosea.
Les git out disg' came from the
awed Chute. wen dogs Is skar'd n
don't want
"Look tharw burst from the asher
lips or Hiram Acton. His face was Of
the color Of birch bark as he pointed
to the hole leading into the edge from
the bars den.
The three men stood gazing with.
dropped jaws. bursting eyes and hair
erect where two human hands stretch
ed from the black hole and moved as
II In dumb appeal.
Next instant the hands drew back
convuisivsiy, and a shrek 30 sharp, so
piercing and unearthly rang from the
bars den that the echoes flung 1t back
ike chorus Of flends. 1t was repeat
ed as white face, distorted by fear
beyond recognition, appeared at the
mouth Of the passage.
The raccoon was trying to crawl
over Abtjah's back, and he believed
that some fearful thing was upon him.
The Canadian started with a yell
that might have been heard a mile.
He 1eaped Eve feet into the air and
sped away In the darkness, crashing
through the bushes.
Uncle Hosea shrieked, Land o. the
livin'F IN shrill falsetto and few
after Chute.
Hiram Acton gave no cry. for his
tongue Glove to the roof OF his mouth
and refused to utter a sound. For a
few hundred yards his track was yisi-
BILE by the receding light OF his ian.
tern that rose and fell like soma sim
gular kind Of fireworks. Soon. how
ever, the lantern smashed against an
oak with a crash that showered the
ground with shivered glass. But when
Hiram stopped three miles from SIX
pence hill he was still clinging to the
wire BAH, which was ali that was left
OF the lantern.
Uncle Hosea was bedrfdden for sew.
ca days. Joe Chute borrowed q team
on the following Sunday and drove
twenty miles TO church for the first
tine In two years. Hiram Acton told
a wonderful story OF what he had seen
after the fight OF his two companions.
According to this veracious narrative.
Hiram had conversed coolly with a
ghost 'up'ards OF nine feet high" But
what the apparition had told him HI
ram dared not tell.
The affair created a great stir I'm
Tannerytown, and from that time for
ward Sixpence hill ceased TO allure
coon hunters.
only two persons knew the facts OF
the case. On the day following his ex-
plot Abijah told James Warner all
about II, though he did not dwell on
the fright he underwent when the
coon crawled over him. The TIVE boys
kept the affair to themselves after
shaking hands I'm renewed friendship.
As TO the skins, they were found to
have become entirely worthless pend
ing the settlement OF the dispute. But
Jonas afterward fully complicated
Abuah for his loss, as be was ~ duty
bound IN do