Ranger, as a minister and son of a minister, I have to tell you that both your story and mine are 100% true to life, even if neither happened exactly that way. That's one reason I never even took up a collection or campaigned for donations.<P>But now we've descended into the realm of coon-dog stories, from where there's no salvation.<P>One of my favorites tells of the fellow who started weeping while others were bragging about their long-gone coon dogs, long since promoted to archangel status in their owners' accounts.<P>"All I had to do," he said, "was jes' show Ol' Snag'em what size o' skinnin' board I wanted a coon skin for, and he'd go get me a coon jes' that size."<P>"What ever happened to 'im?"<P>"I was out in the back yard one day, makin' the ol' lady a arnin' board, 'n' Ol' Snag'em run off. Ain't seen 'im since."<BR>_____<P>In an era before ours, one old coon-hunter gave up the sport (he said) after he "shot a six-foot coon and found a college boy inside."
