El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-27
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

and every varmint hunter as We'll Tor
If possible Mr.. Postum must De taken
alive. Few of them viii fight dog
with any degree OF success Many pos
sum hunters take the quarry home ana
feed it for days, waiting till they are
ready 10 nave roast possuIns win
with sweet taters' on me SIDE.
No amount of nois4 seems to per
turbs a 'pOssum in search of food and
many a jolly party, never pauslng a
moment in merry conversation, is sue
cessful in quest Of the marsuplaI- BuI
not so with the coon. He VINO WOulQ
put Brer Coon up a tree must employ
stealth and cunning A coon Will al
ways fool the uninidated. Fat and
lazy looking he thinks nothing OF
lighting out ahead of the ranging DOG
and hitting up a fast clip for three OF
four miles Time and again ne VIII
elude pursuit altogether for the coon
takes to the water to throw off the
scent viii back-track, run up a tree
and across branches, and then down
again to the ground One OF his 1avor-
ite and remarkable stunts is that OF
tapping" a tree, which means he viii
run up a trunk a few feet and then
spring far out into space, and con-
tinue his journey This trick viii 1901
many coon dog, for it leaves a gap
in the tran that is hard for any but
an experienced varmint dog to explain
'COon Is Crafty.
It must be a surprise party to handle
a coon. He must be put up the first
tree he reaches, If the dog can accom-
plish it, and then comes the FUN. It's
a dark night always, for dark nights
are best for Varmints, and the urSr
thing IS to locate Mr.. Coon. 1t is not
way out on a swinging limb this fell
low will be found, but high up the big
tree between some big forks. bis
plump body flattens out against the
limbs, and -'Brer Coon he layilOW." Just
one thing gives him away, and il is
this for which the Varmint hunters are
anTohfmc Tafr of rnar
shine like balls Of fire through the
darkness A reflector lantern is held
aloft by varmint hunter another
raises a flaming torch above his mead
and peers among the shadOWy outlines
OF the great branches Round and
round the tree the hunters move,
searching every part Of it. Finally
there's subdued exclamation: II see
him fellers; up between those forks"
Sure enough, there he is for those green
eyes are focused sharply on the baylng
dogs and the forms Of the hunters
clrcllng about the trunk It's big tree
and viii take the best climber in the
party. A hunter leans against the
trunk and gives him lift The trunk
is too large to get a hold, and down
slides the exhausted climber
Here catch hold Of that limb and go
up that way, suggests member OF
the party, and the climber takes an
other tack This time success crowns
his efforts and with monkey like agil-
ity he scurries up the swinging limb
and reaches the trunk. Slowly, tedi-
ously and cautiously too, he works up
toward the coon The green eyes are
no longer on the group below, but are
riveted on this new danger. Nearer
the climber approaches and the the
coon concludes that the fork is no
longer the place for him Higher he
goes, then out on a limb. The 'pOssum
/ goes out on a limb at first, but the
[ coon only goes there when driven. IT
is his last stand in the tree top. It
does rnnTrfrn large o.
shaking to dislOdge Mr.. Coon All he
needs IS to be convinced that the man
/ Is really coming out that limb, for no
limb is big enough to hold a man and
a coon at close quarters. What cares
q coon how high the tree or how many
dogs are waiting belOW2 The man is
( crowding him and it's time to leave
LEAPS From Limb.
Suddenly a round ball springs from
night
Watch out fellers; here he comes-"
wells the excited climber. and the next
second a coon strikes the ground and
the fight is on. He IS a big fellow and
the dogs cover him at once.
"I-ooh, LOO; zip, zip, ylp, and
younger member of the canine tribe
leaves the fight before the first round
Is fairly started. and nmps of to the
side lines, subdued, surprised, DISNEY
eled, tail between his legs He had
been a foolish pup for he closed in on
a big old coon with enthusiasm and
for his reward received, in half a sec
Ond a cheWed up nose, a split ear and
a swipe down the side that made the
red blood come Another Outburst OF
canine distress. and the second member
Of the four-fOOted attacking party
gets his and is counted out accord
ing to coon fighting parlance. He got
a chewed foot and an ear was made 70
2 look like sieve.
Fight SavaEery.
Hes a good 'un feuers." yeils de-
nnH HanH#
{ revels in the fight that the old coon
I is making The veteran has backed up
I against the tree trunk. has squared
himself for action. and is fighting saw
/ agely. A big coon, with his rear thus
7 protected. and ena bled to keep his enc
mics to the front. is a formidable prop-
OsitiOn for dog or man. Each dog that
I sails in gets mauling. quick as light
ming. The strong hind paws, with
their sharp claws, are working like
Coriss engine, the shorter ones In
front are busy. and sharp teeth and
7 strong jaws are making sausage meat
F over. There are two veterans in the
I pack and the mauling of the coon
/ serves only TO Increase the fury Of their
attack. Besides the younger dogs are
/ out of the way. and the veterans have
I a clear field. over and over they roll
! the big coon, choking and tearing him
I at the throat, and presently the round
form Is still The fight is over. The
/ victorious dogs lick their wounds and
{ survey the quarry with dOggtsh pride
The pups still occupy positions OF
caution on the side lines wondering
/ how ii all happened A big fat coon is
rolled in O sack. the hunters pat the
[ old dogs affectiOnately, and they're off
I in search Of another coon.
Tt was an old black nanny, discuss
( ing the superlatives in the realm OF
dainties. who declared the 'pOssum was
"the best veEet table she ever ct" Par
! boil the "critter." changing the water
several times This gets rid of much
I OF the grease. Put him in a pan with
a hole I'm the bottom, a plug in the
( hole, and then plenty OF live Goals I'M
| derneath. As the 'possum bakes, re-
move the plug from time to time and
draw off the grease, for a 'poSsum is
nothing IL not greasy. All the time the
I carcass should be basted with q dress
ing of pepper and vinegar. Boil some
Sweet taters" and when the 'possum
[ is about done. pack them about the
! brown carcass. and sprinkle them with
sugar Pour in some Of the gravy that
had been drawn from the pan. and
let the potatoes come to a brown. Then,
smoking. savory and tempting. this
dish is:
"'Possum meat-it am so sweet"
Tomorrow, f'DOve Shooting in the
.,