[Illustration: MR. COON INSISTED ON GADDING ABOUT. (Page 46)] Aaron in the Wildwoods BY JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS AUTHOR OF "UNCLE REMUS," ETC. _ILLUSTRATED BY OLIVER HERFORD_ [Illustration] BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY The Riverside Press, Cambridge 1897 COPYRIGHT, 1897 BY JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS AND HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND CO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTENTS. PAGE PRELUDE 1 I. THE LITTLE MASTER 23 II. THE SECRETS OF THE SWAMP 38 III. WHAT CHUNKY RILEY SAW AND HEARD 56 IV. BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN 74 V. THE HUNT BEGINS 92 VI. THE HUNT ENDS 111 VII. AARON SEES THE SIGNAL 129 VIII. THE HAPPENINGS OF A NIGHT 148 IX. THE UPSETTING OF MR. GOSSETT 166 X. CHUNKY RILEY SEES A QUEER SIGHT 185 XI. THE PROBLEM THAT TIMOLEON PRESENTED 202 XII. WHAT THE PATROLLERS SAW AND HEARD 219 XIII. THE APPARITION THE FOX HUNTERS SAW 237 XIV. THE LITTLE MASTER SAYS GOOD NIGHT 253 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE MR. COON INSISTED ON GADDING ABOUT _Frontispiece_. IT WAS A SWAMP 8 THAT'S RANDALL'S SONG 32 MR. RED FOX MEETS MR. GRAY FOX 40 A-STRADDLE OF THE GRUNTER'S BACK 48 THE HORSES WERE RIGHT AT HIS HEELS 72 THE GOBLIN PAIN 76 THE SPRING OF COOL REFRESHING WATER 80 BRINDLE AND AARON 104 IN THE SWAMP 124 RAMBLER'S FIGHT WITH THE MOCCASIN 132 HE STOOD AS STILL AS A STATUE 144 IT WAS THE WHITE-HAIRED MASTER 160 THEY TORE HIM ALL TO FLINDERS 172 THE EXCITED HORSE PLUNGED ALONG 180 HE EDGED AWAY AS FAR AS HE COULD 188 AARON AND LITTLE CROTCHET 212 BEHIND A TREE STOOD GEORGE GOSSETT 216 THE BLACK STALLION 224 IT WAS FINE FOR MR. FOX 238 THE PHANTOM HORSEMAN 242 AARON AND TIMOLEON 250 BIG SAL HOLDS THE LITTLE MASTER 262 THE DEATH OF THE LITTLE MASTER 268 AARON IN THE WILDWOODS. PRELUDE. I.