of boughs and
the trunk were between it and its adversary.

Then it noiselessly dropped from the tip of the branch to the ground,
alighting, like a skilled acrobat, on its shoulders, doubled its pointed
black nose under its stomach, and again rolled over and over for a
considerable distance, when it got on its short legs and scurried away,
while Tiger still bayed at the foot of the maple-tree, thinking the
vanished prey was above.

"That's what I called the coon's dodge of 'barking a tree,'" said Cyrus.
"Don't you see, when hard pressed, he runs up the trunk, leaving his
scent on the bark; then he creeps to the other side under cover of the
foliage, and drops quietly to the ground. So he breaks the scent and
cheats the dog."

"Good gracious!" exclaimed Neal with an expressive whistle.

"Perhaps it's because of his long gray hairs that he has so much
wisdom," Dol suggested.

"A bright idea, Chick!" chuckled the student, tapping the boy's
shoulder.

"We keep on speaking of him as 'he' when you said the thing was probably
a female," put in Neal.

"That doesn't matter. I'm not certain. Look at old Tiger! He's having
fits now that he has discovered how he's been tricked."

The dog was circling out from the tree, with wild, uncertain movements,
nosing everywhere. Presently he struck the scent again, and darted off
like a streak.

But the raccoon had by this time reached a dark stream of water which
coursed through the over-arching forest at the foot of the hill, as if
it was flowing through a tunnel. Here this astute animal crossed and
recrossed under the gloom of interlocking trees, mid dense undergrowth,
until its trail was altogether lost.

Tiger, having further "fits," nosing about, darting hither and thither,
venting short, baffled barks, finally gave up in despair.

The pursuing party turned back to camp.

"Did ye ever see ennyting to ekal de cunnin' o' de critter," said Uncle
Eb gloomily; "runnin' up dat tree on'y to jump off, so as he'd break de
scent an' fool de dog? Ye'll learn a heap o' queer tings in dese woods,
chillun, 'fore ye get t'rough," he added, addressing the English lads.

"We've learned queerer things than we ever imagined or dreamed of,
already, Uncle Eb," Neal answered.

Meanwhile, Cyrus and Dol had begun to discuss the size of the escaped
coon.

"I should think it measured about two feet from the tip of its nose to
the beginning of the tail, and that would add ten or eleven inches