With a man on either side to guide
him into the deepest holes and to shove him into bushy thickets,
the skinned, soot-covered, oil-coated Boston man toiled and
sweated. He had no time to think, the excitement was so intense. He
scrambled out of each pitfall set for him, and plunged into the
next with such uncomplaining bravery that Dannie very shortly grew
ashamed, and crowding up beside him he took the heavy gun and tried
to protect him all he could without falling under the eye of Jimmy,
who was keeping close watch on the Boston man.
Wild yelling told that the dogs had treed, and with shaking fingers
the Thread Man pulled off the big mittens he wore and tried to lift
the gun. Jimmy flashed a torch, and sure enough, in the top of a
medium hickory tree, the light was reflected in streams from the
big shining eyes of a coon. "Treed!" yelled Jimmy frantically."
Treed! and big as an elephant. Company's first shot. Here, Mister
O'Khayam, here's a good place to stand. Gee, what luck! Coon in
sight first thing, and Mellen's food coon at that! Shoot, Mister
O'Khayam, shoot!"
The Thread Man lifted the wavering gun, but it was no use.
"Tell you what, Ruben," said Jimmy. "You are too tired to shoot
straight. Let's take a rist, and ate our lunch. Then we'll cut down
the tree and let the dogs get cooney. That way there won't be any
shot marks in his skin. What do you say? Is that a good plan?"
They all said that was the proper course, so they built a fire, and
placed the Thread Man where he could see the gleaming eyes of the
frightened coon, and where all of them could feast on his soot and
oil-covered face.
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