The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-09-12
SINGULAR ESCAPE

be true. 1t is given related by the indiyldu
al concerned:
About ihirty.five years ago moved INTO the
northern part of New York which was Their
nearly wilderness, no settlements having bee
made excepting in n few places on the border.
of the lake. | arrived in the sprinr of tn,
year, and commenced clearing on The farm
now occupy. BY fall | had built log house
and temporary stables for my cattie-had pul
into the ground ten acres of wheat aud looked
forward to ta1 ensuing year for the reward Of
my labors My wife and chld--for | was mar.
ried-.wore all my family hbors there
were none nearer than five or six miles so thai
visiting and amusement were almost entirely
out Of the question You NAV therefore sun.
pose that on the approach of long northern
winter, had ample time to crafty my love OF
hunting, for which have always had great
fondness Winter had set in early and all my
cares were confined to keeping a sufficient
stock of wood on hand for !uei-which YOU
may Imagine was not difficult when the trees
stood near my door-and taking care Of the
few cattle was then owner of II was one
day think in the fore part of December when
having finished my mornings work took down
my gun-the same that now stands at the bar
and told my wife that | would, on nv re.
turn. please her with the sight of a fat deer
Deer are even now very plenty in this part OF
the country, hut then they were much more so,
there but little merit or d fIiculty in
achieving what had promised.
| took my departure about north west from
my cabin, which led me direct INTO the forest
The snow was about foot deep. and the wind
blowing bard from the north it drited much in
the evening, but th.S ! thought was in my ia.
vor, the noise made by the wind among the
trees. prevented the game from hearing nav ap
preach in " still hunting" But was mistak
en- in nay calculations, for had Travelled five
or six miles from home and had not got shot
al single deer, though had seen Numbers of
them, bull they were always on the run, and at
tor great distance, and al, the traces that
saw showed me that they had scarcely walked
during tina! day. was then Young hunter
but have since learnt shat this animal is al.
ways on the move, and generally runs, through
out windy DAYS probably from the apptehen.
sion of danger from wolves, which follow its
scent through The snow.
At length | arrived al a large cedar swamp
on the edge of which | was struck with the
singular appearance of a large stub, twenty five
or thirty feet high, with its bark off. From its
scratched surface had no doubt it was climb,
cd by rackoons ~ martins, which probably had
den i'll it, and from lis appearance judged ii
hollow. The stub al It's base might have been
seven or eight feet through hut eigh; or ten
feet higher up. its size was considerably dmin-
ished so that | could grasp sufficiently to
cend 1t and ascertain what was within. My
gun and great coat were deposited in secure
place. and being an expert climber ] soon gaiu-
ed the top. As anticipated, found the stub
was hollow, the aperture being about two and
a half feet in diameter The day, You will oh
serve, was dark aud cloudy, and looking down
the hollow, | fancied conld see the bottom at
no grea, distance, but having nothing to put in
TO ascertain its depth, concluded would try
TO touch the bottom with my feet therefore
placed myself in The hole, lowered myself grad
ually, expecting every moment my feet would
come in contact with some animal or the foot
of the hollow. bat feeling nothing unthink-
ingly continued letting myself down until my
head and hands and my whole person were
completely within the centre of the stub.
AT tins moment u sudden and strange fear
came over me, ! know not from what cause, for
/ am not naturally timid--it seemed TO affect
mo with sense of suffocaton, such as is ex-
perenced in dreams under the effect of the
nightmare. Rendered desperate by my feel
ings, | made violent attempt to extrlcale my
self, when the edges of the wood 10 which
was holding, treacherousy gave way, and pre-
cipitated me to the bottom OF the hole, which
found to extend to level with the ground. !
cannot wholly account for it, but probably The
erect position in which my body was necessari
Nv kept in so narrow a tube, and my landing on
nv feet on II bed Of moss dried leaves and 9th
or substances, | sustained little or no injury
from the fall, nor were my clothes but little de-
ranged in my descent, notwithstanding The
straighness ofthe passage, owing TO the smooth
ness Of the surface from long use blythe ami
mails ascending to and from their den--lor den
| found ii TO he.
After my fright, | had time TO examine the
ntcror-all was dark, and putting my hands
TO feel the way, they came IN contact with the
cold nose of some beast, and Then with the fur,
which Immediately knew was half grown
cub or young bear. Continuing to examine, |
ascertaihed that there were three or four Of
these animals, which, aroused by the noise
made by my descent, came around and smelt
of me, utierng a moaning noise, taking me at
first, no doubt, for their dam but after little
examination, shutting and snortng as if alarm
cd they quietly bctoot themselves to their
couch on the moss, and left me to my own
gloomy reflections | knew they were too
Young to do me any injury, but with that
knowledge came the dreadful certainty that
the mother, whose premises had so needless.
" invaded, was quite different parsonage.
and that my life would date but short period
after she arrived, arrive she cerlainly would
before many hours could pass over my head.
The interior Of the den grew more visible at.
Ter nv eyes becamn accustomed TO the dark
ness. and aided by little light from tho top,
discovered that the den was circular, and or
the ground was five or six feet in diameter, It's
circumference diminishing, at the height of siS
or eight feet TO n diameter of less than three
owing to the singular formation Of The trunk
MS | have before remarked. All attempts tt
reach the narrow part Of the hollow in hopes %
working my way out MS chimney sweeper
might have done. if that had been practicable
were Ruthless, My escape in tins way wal
therefore impossible, To cut through the trunl
hole sufficient TO let ont my body with smnl
pocket knife the only one ! had, would hav'
been The work Of weeks and even months, a
from examinations had made of both the ok
turior and interior. knew that it could not b.
less than foot thick, The knife vas the on
~ weapon possessed, and one hug Of my ire
ioendous adversary would deprive me Of III
rnwcr 10 use so contemplate mn instrument
and ven if | succeeded in killing the be r
which was not to he cxpcrtCd--ny case wa
equally hopeless; for | should only exchange
sudden death for one il possible even more horri
IA lingering one of famine aud thirst for m
tracks in the snow knew were long since co,
cred by the drifts, and there was no possiblit
Of my friends finding me, by searching in Il wi
dcrncss Of many miles in circuit,