Well now fellers I did mention the rabies problem wi' 'coons..right? And at some point I might have mentioned I do have "somewhat" of a fear of heights...and I've seen videos of what rabies does to a person. Correct? Convultions...dementia...drooling...violent muscle spasms..eventual violent death after several days/weeks of the above mentioned....an NO CURE once the symptoms begin to show. O.K.....just so's ya'll understand this is not just common paranoia. This is based in fact! Anyways...about the time I find the top rung I also find...a coon... (probably about 50lbs.....mebbe bigger...hard to tell at that point-in-time!)...suddenly awake as I reach my hand to grab the tether and strap myself in. We both ++++ (excavate our bowels...) a Blue Brick at...roughly the same time. He wants to leave..so do I. We have our differences about how to do it. I don't know if he has rabies...he probably has some doubts about my health as well. He growls and I scream like a little girl..but with a HELLUVA lot more volume! He raises his paws..and that's when the fight started! On my side..I had a $900 Dutch flintlock with a 42inch barrel...un-blemished up to that point! AND...I wasn't jumping 10ft. to the ground...possibly into the crick! If they's one thing I fear morn' coons and rabies..it's falling....or falling into a crick in Jan.!! It was a short but decisive fight. I used the gun like a sword....it took a helluva beating! At one point that coon was slidin' down the barrel and I figgered..."one of us has got to go!" I flicked that gun like a fly rod and off that pesky rascal flew into the crick! YEEHAAWW! I seen the splash...figgered the fight was over..and secured my seat in victory. Tethered mysef' to that tree and lit up a smoke..figgered I won! And then....I seen him swimming back! Audie..befuddled and perplexed..