Still more amused by this conceit, Rolfe replied, “you are the first man I ever heard of, Earth, who could catch one. Do tell us all about it, and rise up; I believe you are still frightened.”
“No, I am not now;” then rising up, he said, “Rolfe, give me your hand,” and Earthquake seizing it, drew it across his forehead. Rolfe again burst into a fit of laughter; for the perspiration stood in large cold drops.
Even Earth was now amused at the groundlessness of his fears, and together they proceeded to inspect more narrowly the moving lights.
“Suppose I put them out,” said Earth?
“Well, do,” said Rolfe.
“Then, hold my gun,” said Earth, and he passed it to him, and began to make preparation for stripping.
Rolfe was convulsed with laughter, and Earthquake had already taken off his hunting accoutrements, before he was able to inquire into the nature of the attack he proposed to make on them. Having at length found a tongue, “Earth,” said he, “do tell us how you mean to proceed.”
“I know two ways to catch 'em,” said Earth. “Now suppose you let me tell you how I laid out that one we were talking about.”
“Do, I should like of all things to hear it.”
“Well, one night, in the early part of the spring before we met, I was going through a part of that green swamp you have heard me speak of, when I seed a jack-a-lantern just ahead of me, dodging about in the swamp. So it turned out to be, but what sort of an animal it was, at that time I had not the least idea. I trapesed on after it, wondering what it was, and expecting every minute to catch it, for pretty near a mile and a half, when I found myself just about as near it as when I started. 'Twas a thing that old Jupe was afraid of, for she kept gitting between my legs and tripping me up, until I was so mad that I took a stick and beat her up into a big lump.”