Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-01-16
Cats and Coons
BY M. QUAD
Copyright, 1912, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

l..
Some o us are sOt in orr ways and
some o us hain't | used to be one o.
the sot kind. If | said anything, no
matter II ! knowed | was wrong, I'd
stick to 1t to the last Sich critter
comes mighty nigh bein' a plumb fule,
but no one could have made me beliey .
1t years ago
one sunday, years ago, the old wo-
man wanted me to go to the preachin'
with her 1t was n nice fall day. and
l wanted to loaf around and see IL the
coons was comm down from the noun
tings.
"She was huffy when she got back.
and not word was said Mt the supper
table. AFTER she'd cleared things away
she got down the Bible and said:
"'Ieb White, the preacher, was
preachin' to us today about Danr in
the lions den. and | want to AK you
some questions
AJAX away said.
"'Was them regular lions, with teeth
and clnwsT
"'Can't say
"'Do you know why the lions didn't
eat DanlT
"'Nope.'
"'And you don't keer, do your
mot whop.'
"'Wall, you keep right on bein' mean
and see how you'll come out. A man
may be sot ag'in his wife and not SUI
fer too much, but when he's sot ag'in
the Bible that's different thing. /
wish you'd find the place about joiner
and the whale and read It to me-
4 hnin't pinin' to read this evenin'.'
says l.
but you believe that the whale
swallered him. don't your
81 hain't sayin' as | do or don't
What Pm thlnkin' OF is whether them
coons will come down In my co'ntield
tonight
land Sunday night. too" she
gasps. 'Ieb, thar's suahly a rod of
punishment laid up for you. You was
sot agin Danl, and now you are sot
agln joiner, and don't you be thinkin
you'll see the end of It without trou-
Bile. VIII you read me about the chill
dren who was devoured by the bars?
mot jest now. I'm waitln' to hear
the old dawg bark to show that the
coons have arrove'
but how many children do you
think thar was?
al hain't countin''
"'Waal, how many b'arsr
Can't say. Might not have been a
single child or bar
"'Then yo're agin them too.
wouldn't be In your shoes fur this
yere hull Cumberland mountains.
don't reckon you believe about the
children OF Israel passin' across the
Red sen dry shodr
al hain't saying as | do
"Jest then my old dawg begun to
bark and rush around. and l took
down my gun and went out I heard
a great rustlin' and spittin' and scat
term, and | reckoned that mo- than a
hundred coons was movin' down on
the con.
II called to the dawg to sick 'em,
but he drapped his tail and sneaked
into the house. Feared like funny
thing for him to do. but | went down
among the con without him. had
skassly got thar when l heard sun
thin movin' about and fred at 1t,
THAT was one OF the bunders of
my life. The powder smoke was still
hangin' In the air when half dozen
wildcats began to climb all over me.
1.-THE only thing l could do was to
|. start for the house. and as l stag
gered along kept up yellin'.
II was clawed and bit and scratched
from head to heel, and l hadn't 'nun
clothes on me to cover silver dollar
! was jest that scared and done uI
that tainted away and fell In heap
and when cum to was on the bed
and the old woman was dressin' my
. hurts.
"She had to begin at my scalp anC
work down to my heels. and IT took hel
all the rest OF the night. felt bat
nun, l kin tell you, but she made N,
: feel heap wuss. She didn't say 1
single word to me fur hours, but wheI
she had about finished me up sh,
started Off with:
"'Zeb. do you reckon them was reg
lar lions in the cage with Dan1T
y "'With all my heart. do l says.
"And them children OF Israel ant
. the Red SeaT
al believe every last word of II
y Linda
"'And is the dawg to be whopped 70
y not maxim as big fule OF himself n
l. you didT
"'Not whop. | reckoned on whoI
u pin him for not mixin' in, but I'll Ia
~ It go this time. Anything MOP
"Nuthin' mo-. Zeb.' she says as sh
Gums over and kisses me, 'cept tina
you hadn't better git too frisky agi
y an think you are bigger man tina
Providence
LINDA says l, 4 suah thought thel