The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1836-05-25
From Life in the Woods"
A WESTERN BEAR STORY.

of Salmon river, was Vermontese, of the
name of Dobson- large, resolute, and
athletic man. Returning one evening after
a fruitless hunt after his vagrant cows,
which, according to custom in new coun-
tries, had been turned to the woods to pro-
cure their own subsistence from the rank
herbage Of the early summer; just before
emerging from the forest upon the clearing
of his neighbor, the late worthy Joseph
Sleeper, he saw large bear descending
from lofty sycamore, where he had been
in quest, probably of honey. A bear as
cends a tree much more exper,ly than he
descends it, being obliged to come down
hind end foremost. My friend Dobson did
not like to be joined in his evening walk by
such a companion; and without rejecting
what he should do with the varmint' af-
terwards, he ran up the tree on the oppo-
site side from the animals body, and just
before he reached the ground seized him by
the fore paws. Bruin growled and gnash-
ed his tusks but he soon found that his
paws were in the grasp of iron paws equal
y strong with his own. Nor could he use
his hinder paws to disembowel his an
tagonist, as the manner of the bear is, mas
much as the trunk of the tree was between
them. But Dobson's predicament, as he
was endowed with rather the most reason,
was worse yet. He could no more assail
the bear than the bear could assal
him. Nor could he venture to let go OF him,
for the presumption was, that Bruin would
not make him very gracious return for
thus unceremoniously taking him by the
h.,n Tta E..It f,e .l,,.r
into darkness, and his position was far less
comfortable than it otherwise would have
been at the same hour, surrounded by his
wife and children at the supper table, to
say nothing of the gloomy prospect for the
night. Still, as Joe SIeeper's house was
not far distant, he hoped to be able to call
him to his assistance. But his lungs, though
none of the weakest were unequal to the
task; and although he halloed and bawlcd
the livelong night, making the woods and
welkin ring again, he succeeded no better
than old Glendower of old, in calling spir-
its from the Vastly deep. 1t was weari-
some night for old Dobson: such game
of hOld-tdSt he had never been engaged in
before. Bruin, too, was probably some
what worried, although he could not de-
scribe his sensation in English, albeit he
took the regular John Bull method of maxi
ing known his dssalisfaciion-that is to say,
he growled necessarily But there was no
let go in the case; and Dobson was there
fore under the necessity Of holding fast, un-
I'll it seemed to his clenched aud aching fin
gers, as though the bears paws and his had
grown together.
As the daylight returned, and the smoke
from Mr.. Sleeper's chimney began to curl
up gracefully, though rather dimly in the
distance, Dobson again repeated his cries
for succor; and his heart was soon glad
dened by the appearance of his worthy and
inactive neighbor, who had at last been at
tracted by the voice of the impatient suffer-
er, bearing an axe upon his shoulder. Dob
SON had never been so much rejoiced at see
ing MIR. Sleeper before, albeit he was very
kind and estlmable neighbor.
"Why don't you make haste, Mr. Sleep
er, and not be lounging at that rate, when
you see fellow Christian in such kettle
of fish as this 7"
~ run Is that you, Mr.. Dobson, up
tree therel And was it you that | heard
hallooing SO all night | guess YOU ought
10 have your lodging for nothing, if you've
stood up agin the tree all night"
It's no joke though, can tell you Mr..
Sleeper: and if you'd had hold of black
varmint all night, it strikes me you'd think
you'd paid dear enough for IT. But if YOU
heard me calling for help in the night, why
didn't you come and see what was the
trouble :"
"Oh, ] was going tired TO bed, after lay
ing up log fence all day, and thought I'd
wait till morning, and come bright and airly.
But if I'D known twas you-"
"Known twas me !" replied Dobson,
bitterly, "you knew twas somebody who
had flesh and blood too good for these
plaguy vnrmints, though; and you knew
there's been smart sprinkle of bears about
the settlement all the spring."
"Well, don't be in huff, Tommy. It's
never too late to do good. So hold tight
now, and don't now, and dom let the tarnal
critter get loose, while Isplit his head OPEN"
" No. no." said Dobson. "Atier hold |
ing the beast here all night, think ought
to have the pleasure Of killing him. So
you just takc hold of his paws here, and
will take the axe, and let n streak of day- /
light into his skull about the quickest"
The proposition being fair one, Mr..
Sleeper was too reasonable man to object.
He was no coward either; and he there
fore stepped up to the tree, aud cautiously