ree was a
huge moss-hung water-oak, evidently too large to be chopped down, as
all the 'coon trees of Solon's stories had been. So Winn offered to
climb it and shake out the 'coon. As yet they had not discovered the
animal, but Bim was so confident of its presence that they took his
word for it.

Solon had raised a false alarm as the first gleam of firelight
penetrated the dark mass of foliage above them by exclaiming:

"Dar he! Me see um! Lookee, Marse Brack, in dat ar crutch!"

But what the old negro saw proved to be a bunch of mistletoe, and when
Winn began his climb the 'coon's place of concealment was still
unknown. Up went the boy higher and higher, carefully examining each
limb as he passed it, until he was among the very topmost branches of
the tree. The others stood on opposite sides of the trunk, with axes
or clubs uplifted, and gazed anxiously upward until their necks ached.

At length Winn became aware that from the outermost end of a slender
branch just above his head a pair of green eyes were glaring at him.
The glare was accompanied by an angry spitting sound. "I've found him,
fellows! Look out below!" he shouted, and began a vigorous shaking of
the branch. All at once the animal uttered a sound that caused a
sudden cessation of his efforts. It also caused Winn to produce a
match from his pocket, light it, and hold the tiny flame high above his
head. Then, without a word, he began to descend the tree.

As he dropped to the ground the others exclaimed in amazement, "What's
the matter, Winn? Where's the 'coon? Why didn't you shake him down?"

"He's up there," replied Winn, "but I don't want him. If any of you
do, you'd better go up and shake him down. I'd advise you to take a
torch along, though."

Not another word of explanation would he give them, and finally Binney
Gibbs, greatly provoked at the other's stubbornness, declared he would
go up and shake that 'coon down--in a hurry, too. He so far accepted
Winn's advice as to provide himself with a blazing knot, and then up he
started. In a few minutes he too returned to the ground, saying that
he guessed Winn was about right, and they didn't want that 'coon after
all.

"What in the name of all foolishness do you mean?" cried Billy
Brackett, impatiently. "Speak out, man, and tell us, can't you?"

But Binney acted precisely as Winn had done, and advised any one who
wanted that 'coon to go and get it.

"Well, I will!" exclaimed th