"He's been hangin' eround
ever since, an' when he saw us he thought it wuz his ole pardners come
back. He's been taught ter swipe hats an' drop 'em down inter ther house
through ther chimbley hole. That accounts fer it, an' I reckon he's ther
whole ghost."
"Yah, mebbe I dinks so," said Carl, who looked rather sheepish at his
exhibition of fear.
"He's a smart little piece," said Ted. "By the way, Carl, get busy with
the pots and pans. I'm going to stay to supper and sleep here to-night.
I've got the cattle and the boys planted, and it is too far to go on to
the ranch house to-night. Stella and Kit went back an hour ago."
Carl went to work to cook supper, while Bud played with the coon, which
was as full of tricks as a monkey, and kept the boys laughing all the
time.
"A coon is a mighty smart animile," said Bud as they sat down to supper.
"So I've heard," said Ted. "But I've never seen many of them."
"Dere is no such beast in Chermany," Carl put in proudly.
"That's so," said Bud. "Ameriky is the land o' ther free, an' ther home
o' ther coon. Never went coon huntin', did yer, Ted?"
"I never did."
"Well, ye've missed some mighty good fun. Down in Missouri is whar ther
coon grows wild an' independent, an' ther ain't one o' them what's come
o' age what ain't as smart as ary congressman you ever see.
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