The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-02-14

| AbiiAh voiat.i hj+ s''pVr ohun until
he learned Nb1rc .I.fis deposited his
| booty.
| T',cn II srt'r IT satisfaction stole
| over the ftc-l.}stl face Of AhiiHh Viii
| lams. He lad determined t" arpror1i-
| ate the rtuia IN account If his lost
| furs.
Next night he left the house rs if to
| 60 econ hunting.
I, happened that Hiram Acton. Tn
| Gle Hosea Swale aud Joe Chute sal
! lied out the same evening I" hunt
coous on Sixpcuce hill. Chute was y
| French Canadian. They had q lantern.
| Il gun and tw" dogs. Hy 9 o'clock they
| had started q coon.
Suddenly the barking of one Of their
hounds seemed high above them. 1t
| rang out full and musical. When the
| dog ceased the echoes went calling to
| and fro among the lodges and family
| falling away till silence again ruled
| the night. The three coon hunters
stopped running and began to talk,
"Fcllcrs." said Hiram wiping the
| pcrspiration from his brow with the
back Of his hand. "we've lost him"
"What makes you think SOP painted
Uncle Hosea.
Think SO? Why. I'm tellin' on We
know It, The ragin' beast o prey has
took sanctuary in the bars den. We
might Jest as well try to ketch pond
sinner i'm steel trap as expect to find
n coon that gifts into the bars den"
| ~ told We. didn't IT, snarlesl Uncle
Hosea. "'twa'n't no use in comm off
here artcr coons? They alters manage
to cit into that pesky hole. Let's go
hum
"Waal. i amt goin' back now said
Chute resolutely Il got my mout
mad up for dat coon. n tell my wo-
man fetch one coon home to him.
MY woman-she's de hes cook!'
| "She won't cook no coon that amt
ketched. l guess" said Acton.
| 81 tole YOU exclaimed Chute. up
in Canaday smoke out coons in place
lax dat Take some dead leaf N
strike Il match. N dat coon she come
out pooty mighty quick. ya-asv'
| "Chute. We might jest as well try to
drive coon out O Hoosac tunnel by
lightin Il match at one end ont" said
| Acton.
| But Uncle Hosea Swale seemed to
think the plan worth trying. and pres
emily Chute was sent to light fire Mt
the upper opening, while the others
STAYED at the nearer entrance with the
dogs. Chute was instructed to smOth
er the fire with leaves and brush, SO
that it's draft would be downward and
entrance
His companions heard the cracking
Of the brush as Chute went through
it. Then all was silent save the moan
ing Of wind In the treetops overhead.
The solemnity Of the night became NJ
most oppressive.
ITS kinder fun'ral-like here, amt
II. Acton?" said Uncle Hosea in a low
tone
"Kinder. l wisht that Frenchman d
hurry up
II don't spose." Uncle Hosea went
on. that anybody ever explored this
here caveT'
"What'd anybody want to explore 1t
for?'
"Waal. curiosity. maybe. Ye remem-
Der ole Sam Mash. don't ye?"
"Him that bruk his leg loggin' for
Henry Brasset? He said he heerd 1t
crack in three places. He was so
/ lrA 1>~
home on an OK sled When they got
him halfway home he jumped off'n
the sled an went back after his dinner
pail. Yes, l remember ole Sam
Mash"
"Waal. he was curtis sort Of a
critter. He'd tell the most Sing'lar
stories. He ulster tell sometimes bout
explorin' this here bars den. He
skart hisself 20 tellin' 1t one night
over to Benefits huskin' that he
didn't darse to 20 hum alone"
''What did he see in there?" asked
Acton, lighting his pipe and leaning
back against bowlder
At this point Chute came back to re-
port that the smudge was burning
finely. He sat down. and Uncle Hosea
went on with his story:
"Waal. highs l kin rec'lect 1t, ole
Mash said he got here n crawled in
with a knife in his teeth, leavin' his
gun outside. He follered a kinder cir
cooitus crack for nigh forty feet m
then come to a place 80 small t he
couldn't git through 1t. SO he held his
lantern front Of him n looked In.
"'N'. b. golly, he see a big chamber
like hollered out'n the stun, n in the
middle ont. on the floor. sot q human
skull GRIMM at him with shin bone
between the teeth
| ''Ole Mash said the skull kinder
LATED and most scared the life out Of
him, and he didn't know how quick he
come away"
Hiram laughed nervOusly. Chute
turned up the wick Of the lantern
without laughing ut all The three
huddled together before the great
black hole and talked fearfully Of
l