t almost all Jimmy had in
store for it. Jimmy came out all right with a shout. The Thread Man did
not step half so far, and landed knee deep in the icy oil-covered slush
of the ditch. That threw him off his balance, and Jimmy let him sink
one arm in the pool, and then grabbed him, and scooped oil on his back
with the other hand as he pulled. During the excitement and struggles
of Jimmy and the Thread Man, the rest of the party jumped the ditch and
gathered about, rubbing soot and oil on the Boston man, and he did not
see how they crossed.

Jimmy continued to rub oil and soot into the hated coat industriously.
The dogs leaped the ditch, and the instant they struck the woods broke
away baying over fresh tracks. The men yelled like mad. Jimmy struggled
into his overcoat, and helped the almost insane Boston man into his and
then they hurried after the dogs.

The scent was so new and clear the dogs simply raged. The Thread Man
was wild, Jimmy was wilder, and the thirteen contributed all they could
for laughing. Dannie forgot to be ashamed of himself and followed the
example of the crowd. Deeper and deeper into the wild, swampy Canoper
led the chase. 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