The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1916-01-06

0WUOS 8NAAA 49, 49, INC kODI 0V80v
jumping MP with forefeet O Tie trunk
and baying s. q frenzy Of excitement.
Oar he--zdar her cried Je6 Ii Joy.
peertng up "a the darkness. ""Way up
In ds9top. ~ Imf.
Tom could merely nee ah indistinct
blur against the starlight through tie
bare branches.
guess u. / zee sonethingr
Climb or cut?' inquired Uncle Rube,
unslinging bis bundle OF splinters and
making two torches, which he lit and
gave the boys to hold. Az the fat pine
sputtered and Jared the light disclosed
two pin points Of green light shining
from the dark object.
"Oh. yes, doggone yer! Grimm al
us, Is yer? Thinks we ain gwine Fit
yer, does yer? Thinks yer too sharp
fer US, huh? Gimme dat az, JEFF. I'll
have dat tree down fore yo' cd gil
ter de fust limb climbin'."
i Uncle Rube swung the az, and In
two ticks 1t bit out an immense chip
from the tree trunk. Two more ticks
brought another, then another.
Hole dem dawgs, now, Jef. We
dom want no chawed up possum. Dis
tree Is trim'lin' now; two more licks
II bring hit down. cautioned Rube.
Jen slipped the Irvine through the col
lars Of the four dogs. They were wild
with excitement, for they knew what
vas coming.
look out, folkses; trees a-fallin'!'
sang Uncle Rube, and with q crash the
tall stem fell. Almost at the same
time JEFF was near where the top
struck the ground, scuffling with the
dogs, who had got tangled with his
legs, and he was trying to keep his
balance and handle the lantern at the
same time.
Turn dem dawgs loose-turn EN-
loose, JEFF! MY Lawd ha' mussy, eff
we amt let dat ole possum git erway.
Turn 'em loose quick. befo' he en- git
far OF"
well amt he er slick un!'' com
mented JEFF as he finally got untan.
gled from the cord holding the dogs,
and they plunged excitedly into the
brush OF the treetop, scufHing and sniff
fling In confusion. They lost several
minutes in that way, then broke into
full cry again, trailing up the hill, men
and boys following as best they could.
1t was hardly five minutes after they
took the trail the second time, but the
party had travelled pellmell over a quar-.
ter of a mile.
Don tell me dat ole possum ain
been hunted befo' dist" painted Rube.
He's a-makin' time like er deer"
The dogs signaled that they had
freed again.
Now we got i'm! l ain gwine take
no mo- chances-dem dawgs kin have
dey fun en- chaw i'm too, If dey wants.
l don purpose fer no possum ter make
me run merse'f ter death!' announced
Uncle JET.
This time the quarry had taken to a
tall blackjack about as large around
as a mans leg.
I'll hole de dawgs, INK Jeff-hit's
yo' time ter cut de tree-but / sho is
gwine ter let dem puppies in soon's
hit nears de groun'."
"All right, jes' so yer dom let 'em
loose en- let de tree fall on 'em. Denis
vallyble dawgs."
Tom and Joe stood holding the
torches so Uncle JEFF could see to
swing the ak. Directly came the pre-
liminary cracking and swaying.
Ready now!' warned Uncle Jenf as
he hit the final lick, and the tree ma
jestically swayed and fell with a thun-
derous crash. A second before it hit
earth Rube turned the dogs loose, and
they were in the treetop almost before
it had settled from the rebound.
Men and boys ran forward, holding
their lights aloft, and puzzled, too, for
there was the liveliest scrap going on
In those interlaced branches and twigs
they had ever witnessed. The dogs
were snarling and yelping and bark
ing and biting. There were squeals
AMI howls and growls. and every min
ute or SO a dog would dash out, flap
ping a badly torn ear or bewailing
Justify a bitten nose.
why good gracious erlive, eff dat
aim er greet big. ole coonr' yelled I'm
Gle Rube. "Whoopee! Sick i'm, Spot!
Go to i'm, Rather! Sick i'm. dawgs!
Sick i'm, boys-whoopeew
The dogs plunged back to the fray.
The coon had about bested them in
the thick branches, but on the second
attack Br'er Coon made the fatal mis-
take Of trying to get into the open. AS
he cleared the tree and landed in the
grass there was another mixup OF fy-
ing claws and swapping jaws.
The co0n lay fat on his back and
fought with all four feet and his teeth.
He was holding OF the dogs and IN
ficting more damage on them than
they were on him until the dogs got
down to team work and would rush
him two at a time on different sides.
It was as pretty q team play as ever
q football game exhibited.
Finally Spot managed to get the
coon by the throat. and the last heard
Of him was q shrill squeal as Spot
shut OF his breath and proceeded to
shake the life out OF him.