So, asking Bud to give him a start, he soon reached the limb above the one on which the raccoon was.

Ralph did not know how ugly a customer a raccoon can be, and so got credit for more courage than he had.

With much peril to his legs from the raccoon's teeth, he succeeded in shaking the poor creature off among the yelping brutes and yelling boys.

Ralph could not help sympathizing with the hunted animal, which sold its life as dearly as possible, giving the dogs many a scratch and bite.

It seemed to him that he was like the raccoon, precipitated into the midst of a party of dogs who would rejoice in worrying _his_ life out, as Bull and his crowd were destroying the poor raccoon.