with ther dog, if he's gone daffy, er whether
it's jest an onusual smart coon what has gone out jest ter have a joke
by runnin' them ter ther same tree every time.

"While he is contemplatin' thus he is leanin' with his back ter ther
tree. Pritty soon he thinks he'll go home, an' he starts away sorter
disgustedlike with ther night's sport, an', by gee, he finds he's caught
by ther tail o' his coat an' can't break loose.

"He tries ter get away, but he's shore fast. He reaches around, an' ther
tree hez got hold o' him all right, an' bein' some superstitious, Unc'
Fletch begins ter git some scared. Then he ricollects about hearin' the
colored folks talk about the haunted coon tree."

"Coons is ghostes, not?" asked Carl.

"Wait an' you'll hear," continued Bud. "Long about this time, Ballyhoo
begins ter howl in ther most sad an' lonesome way, an' that don't make
Unc' Fletch feel any better. Jest as he's thinkin' about hollerin' fer
help----"

"Why didn't he skin out of his coat, and leave it sticking to the tree?"
asked Ted.

"I ast him ther same question, an' he says as how he was too plumb
scared ter do sich a thing. But jest as he was goin' ter holler he finds
that he's loose, an' all his spunk comes back again.

"Then he begun ter be curious ter find out what it was that held him
fast. He lights a fire an' gets a torch ter examine ther tree, but can't
find nothin' that would hev cotched him thataway.

"But as he's lookin' ther strangest thing happens. Ther tree opens a
crack runnin' all ther way from ther roots up as far as Unc' Fletch kin
see. Ther crack is big ernuff ter put yer finger in, but Unc' Fletch
doesn't do no such fool trick ez that.

"In less than a minnit ther crack closes up ag'in, an' thar ain't no
sign o' it. Now this is some puzzlin' ter Unc' Fletch, an' he hez some
more o' them funny feelin's erbout ghosts, an' them things.

"While he's still watchin' ther tree, ther crack opens again, then
closes an' opens an' closes, same as if it wuz breathin'. This makes
Unc' Fletch some riled, fer he wa'n't never a feller what can stand
bein' made a joke of, an' he thinks ther ghost in ther tree is havin'
fun with him."

"What did he do?" asked Ted, when Bud stopped and looked reflectively
into the fire.

"Well, he starts out ter make a fool out o' ther ghost, if it is a
ghost, er outer ther tree, if it is jest a tree what is triflin' with
him.

"He has his ax with him, fer every real coon hunte