Part 20 (2/2)

”Yes,” said Frank, ”we've accidentally stumbled upon a regular 'c.o.o.n-tree. There must be a big family of them living here. The tree looks as if some one had taken an ax and cleaned off the bark. But,”

he added, ”finding where the 'c.o.o.ns have been and catching them are two very different things.”

”What do you mean?” inquired Archie, ”You don't pretend to say that the 'c.o.o.ns are not in the tree?”

”Certainly I do. I wouldn't be afraid to stake Brave against any little cur in the village that the 'c.o.o.n the dogs have just followed here is the only one in the tree.”

”What makes you think so?”

”Why, now is their feeding-time, and all the 'c.o.o.ns in this part of the woods are in the cornfield. It wouldn't pay to cut down this big tree for one 'c.o.o.n; so let's go home and go to bed, and early to-morrow morning we will come back here and bag our game.”

The boys agreed to this, and they whistled to their dogs, and started through the woods toward home.

The next morning, at the first peep of day, they again set out, and in half an hour arrived at the 'c.o.o.n-tree.

The boys knew that they had something to accomplish before they could secure their game, but they were not the ones to shun hard work. They had frequently cut down trees for a single 'c.o.o.n, and they felt confident that there were at least three of the animals in the tree, and they were willing to work for them.

Archie and George were armed, as on the preceding night, with axes, and, after pulling off their coats, they placed themselves on opposite sides of the tree, and set manfully to work. Harry and Frank stood by, ready to take their places when they grew tired, and the dogs seated themselves on the ground close by, with their tongues hanging out of the sides of their mouths, and now and then giving vent to an impatient whine.

The boys worked for an hour and a half--taking their turns at chopping--almost without speaking. At length the top of the tree began to waver, and a loud crack announced that it was about to fall. Frank and Archie were chopping, and the blows of their axes resounded with redoubled force, and the other boys caught up the guns, and ran off in the direction in which the tree was about to fall, followed by Sport and Lightfoot, and Brave stationed himself close behind his master, and barked and whined furiously.

A few st.u.r.dy blows finished the business, and the tree began to sink--slowly at first, then with a rus.h.i.+ng sound, and struck the earth with a tremendous crash. In an instant boys and dogs were among the branches. The 'c.o.o.ns--some of which were not injured in the least by the fall--scattered in every direction; and one of them--a fine, large fellow--bounded off through the bushes.

Frank discovered him just in time, and, fearing that he would lose sight of him, he hurled his ax at him with all his strength; but it went wide of the mark, and Frank started in hot pursuit. He was very swift of foot, and there seemed to be no limit to his endurance, but, in running through the bushes, the 'c.o.o.n had decidedly the advantage.

Frank was not slow to discover this, and he began to think about sending his ax after him again, when he heard a cras.h.i.+ng in the bushes behind him, and the grayhound pa.s.sed him like the wind, and two or three of his tremendous bounds brought him up with the 'c.o.o.n.

Frank knew very well that Lightfoot had something of a job before him, for it requires a very tough, active dog to ”handle” a full-grown c.o.o.n when he is cornered. But Frank thought it was a capital time to judge of the grayhound's ”grit;” so he cheered him on, and hurried forward to witness the fight.

As Lightfoot came up, he made a grab at the 'c.o.o.n, which, quick as a flash, eluded him, and, when the hound turned upon him, the 'c.o.o.n gave him one severe bite, when Lightfoot uttered a dismal howl, and, holding his nose close to the ground, beat a hasty retreat; and the Young Naturalist could not induce him to return.

During the fight, short as it was, Frank had gained considerably, and, as the 'c.o.o.n turned to make off, he again threw his ax at him, which, true to its aim, struck the 'c.o.o.n on the head, and stretched him lifeless on the ground.

Meanwhile Archie was endeavoring to secure his 'c.o.o.n, under rather more difficult circ.u.mstances.

As soon as the tree had begun to fall, Archie dropped his ax, seized a short club that lay near him on the ground, and, discovering a 'c.o.o.n making for the bushes, he started after him at full speed.

The animal appeared to run heavily, as if he had been partially stunned by the falling of the tree; and Archie had followed him but a short distance, when he had the satisfaction of discovering that he was gaining at every step. The 'c.o.o.n seemed to understand that his chance of escape was rather small; and, after various windings and twistings, commenced ascending a small tree. Archie ran forward with all possible speed, with the hope of reaching the tree before he could climb out of the way. The 'c.o.o.n moved but slowly, and Archie felt sure of his prize; and, as soon as he came within the proper distance, he struck a powerful blow at the animal, but he was just out of reach, and the club was s.h.i.+vered to pieces against the tree.

Archie, however, did not hesitate a moment, but, placing his hands on the tree, commenced climbing after him. The 'c.o.o.n ascended to the topmost branch, and looked down on his enemy, growling and snapping his teeth, as if to warn him that he intended to make a desperate resistance; but Archie was not in the least intimidated, and, reaching the branch on which the 'c.o.o.n was seated, he shook it violently, and the animal tumbled to the ground, and, as soon as he could regain his feet, started off again.

Archie descended as quickly as possible, and started in pursuit, hoping to overtake his game before he could again take to a tree.

There was an abundance of large trees growing in the woods, and, if the 'c.o.o.n should take it into his head to ascend one of them, Archie might whistle for his game.

The young hunter well understood this, and he ”put in his best licks,”

as he afterward remarked, and, in a few moments, had almost overtaken him, and began to look around for something to strike him with, when the 'c.o.o.n, as if guessing his intention, suddenly turned and ran up a large tree that stood close by, and, crawling out on a limb, about fifty feet from the ground, he settled himself down, as if he had concluded to take matters more easily.

This was discouraging; and Archie seated himself on a log under the tree, and for a moment thought seriously of giving up the chase. But the 'c.o.o.n was a fine, fat fellow, and his skin would make a valuable addition to the museum, and, besides, he had followed him so far already, that he was reluctant to go back to his companions without him, and, on second thought, he concluded that he would _not_ go back unless he could carry the 'c.o.o.n with him.

He first thought of ascending the tree, but, after taking a hasty survey of it, he abandoned the idea. The tree was partially decayed; in fact, there was but one sound limb in it that Archie could discover, and that was about four feet above the one on which the 'c.o.o.n was seated, and stretched out directly over it.

<script>