paused to renew his hold, it turned toward him with a growl, and
showed very clearly a purpose to advance to the attack. This caused
his pursuer to descend to the ground with all speed. When the coon
was finally brought down with a gun, he fought the dog, which was a
large, powerful animal, with great fury, returning bite for bite for
some moments; and after a quarter of an hour had elapsed and his
unequal antagonist had shaken him as a terrier does a rat, making
his teeth meet through the small of his back, the coon still showed
fight.

They are very tenacious of life, and like the badger will always
whip a dog of their own size and weight. A woodchuck can bite
severely, having teeth that cut like chisels, but a coon has agility
and power of limb as well.

They are considered game only in the fall, or towards the close of
summer, when they become fat and their flesh sweet. At this time,
cooning in the remote interior is a famous pastime. As this animal
is entirely nocturnal in its habits, it is hunted only at night. A
piece of corn on some remote side-hill near the mountain, or between
two pieces of woods, is most apt to be frequented by them. While the
corn is yet green they pull the ears down like hogs, and, tearing
open the sheathing of husks, eat the tender, succulent kernels,
bruising and destroying much more than they devour. Sometimes their
ravages are a matter of serious concern to the farmer. But every
such neighborhood has its coon-dog, and the boys and young men
dearly love the sport. The party sets out about eight or nine
o'clock of a dark, moonless night, and stealthily approaches the
cornfield. The dog knows his business, and when he is put into a
patch of corn and told to "hunt them up" he makes a thorough search,