Rubin glared at me. 'I'm going up and run that coon out,' he said. 'If you stop your dogs, I'm going to beat you half to death.' ,'Do it anyway, Rubin,' Rainie said.
'I've a good mind to,' said Rubin.
Just as Rubin started to climb the tree, Old Dan growled. He was staring into the darkness. Something was coming.
'What's that?' I asked.
'I don't know,' Rubin said. 'Don't sound like anything I ever heard.'
'It's ghosts,' Rainie said. 'Let's get away from here.'
An animal was coming out of the darkness. It was walking slowly in an odd way, as if it were walking sideways. The hair on the back of my neck stood straight out.
As the animal came closer, Rainie said, 'Why, it's Old Blue. How did he get loose?'
It was a big blue tick hound. Around his neck was a piece of rope about three feet long. One could see that the rope had been gnawed in two. The frayed end had become entangled in a fair-sized dead limb. Dragging the limb was what made the dog look so odd. I felt much better when I found out what it was.
The blue tick hound was like the Pritchards, mean and ugly. He was a big dog, tall and heavy. His chest was thick and solid. He came up growling. The hair on his back was standing straight up. He walked stiff-legged around Old Dan, showing his teeth.
I told Rainie he had better get hold of his dog, or there was sure to be a fight.
'You better get hold of your dog,' he said. 'I'm not worried about Old Blue. He can take care of himself.'
I said no more.
'Don't make no difference now whether you kill the ghost coon or not,' Rubin said. 'Old Blue will take care of him.'
I knew the killing of the coon was out of my control, but I didn't want to see him die. I said to Rubin, 'Just give back my two dollars and I'll go home. I can't keep you from killing him, but I don't have to stay and see it.'
'Rubin, don't give him the money,' Rainie said. 'He ain't killed the ghost coon.'
'That's right,' Rubin said. 'You ain't, and I wouldn't let you now, even if you wanted to.'
I told them my dogs had treed the ghost coon and that was the bet, to tree the ghost coon.
'No, it wasn't,' Rubin said. 'You said you would kill him.'
'It was no such thing,' I said. 'I've done all I said I would.'
Rubin walked up in front of me. He said, 'I ain't going to give you the money. You didn't win it fair. Now what are you going to do about it?'
I looked into his mean eyes. I started to make some reply, but decided against it.
He saw my hesitation, and said, 'You better get your dogs and get out of here before you get whipped.'
In a loud voice, Rainie said, 'Bloody his nose, Rubin.'
I was scared. I couldn't whip Rubin. He was too big for me. I started to turn and leave when I thought of what my grandfather had told them.
'You had better remember what my grandpa said,' I reminded them. 'He'll do just what he said he would.'
Rubin didn't hit me. He just grabbed me and with his brute strength threw me down on the ground. He had me on my back with my arms outspread. He had a knee on each arm. I made no effort to fight back. I was scared.
'If you say one word to your grandpa about this,' Rubin said, 'I'll catch you hunting some night and take my knife to you.'
