Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1842-01-28

ana within q huge bear! Bruin was
despatched, sans ceremonie, by a single
blast from the hunters rifle; and left
In charge Of one Of the partners in
trade, while the other pushed on to
examine the second pen. That too was
sprung! Diana, but it was a proplious
morning for our old hunters! The pen
was hastily examined, and found 10 con-
tain the very animal that the hunters
desired to trap. The old man leveIed
ii"sweeI-liPs," bIazed away; and the bear
fell In twi0kIing, the rife was re -
loaded; and, hearing a rumbliug in the
pen and more signs OF life than it was
exactly natural to expect from a dying
bear, the old man pressed his examina
nation a little farther To his aston.
ishment and delight, he discovered a
second bear, alarmed and struggling for
deIiSerance This also was despatched; !;
the rifle reloaded and placed against
tree, together with the hunters long
knife. The old man prepared to dis.
lodge his game. By mighty effort
he raised the top or lid of The trap
when suddenly third bear, about half
grown, rushed forward and cIaspod him
around lhe body! Here was a struggle
for you!
"Hic labor, hoe opus est"
Not content with such rude en-
brace, the old man seized the bear by
the ears, and attempted to pull him head
long to the tree near which he had left
his knife. The bear was not 10 be dis.
posed Of 10 that fashion; and the old
man, finding that he "coud'nt come it"
over bruin head foremost, gave him
the retrograde motion and backed him,
the other end foremost, a rod or two.
until within reach Of the knife. Letting
60 with one hand to grasp the knife, the
hunter unavoidabIy gave the bear
chance 10 operate in the defensive; and,
""ith one fell swoop' of TIE bears paws
the old man was s'rippod naked from
the belt TO the moccasins. But Bruin
was doomed animal in g moment the
hunter plunged his knife into his heart
TO the very heft
Trapping however, is not The only
mode of bear. hunting prsctised on the
mountains, Many Of the hunters keep
a pack of dogs, specially trained for
hunting the bear and nothing else We
reccolect perillous adventure of a
hunter named Davis, with which we
beg leave. for the present, to close our
notice OF the Sports Of the Mountaineers.
Davis, with welI-trained pack, set out
on favorable day for a regular bear
hunt. He had not been oul manv hours.
when he discovered his dogs in hot pur
suit of an old, long legged brown bear,
the most lerocious of his kind The
bear, being closely pursued, pressed in
to bnraeI Thckel Tor refuge; and the
better TO escape an actual recontre with
his dogs, placed himself, hind side up.
Pormost, on the trunk of a large tree,
fifteen or twenty feet from the ground.
Davis, Judging from the spirited bark
ing OF his dogs, understood in a moment
what was the actual position of his
game: 1t was impossible TO penetrate
tho thicket in an erect posture; and,
seeing no other practicable mode Of
reaching the point Of conflict, he took
a horizontal position, and hurried on as
fast as he could on hands and knees, car
rying with him a brass barreIed rife
made expressly for the bear hunt
With much difficulty, he approached
within a rod or two orthe besieged tree,
and was preparing to raise himself up
as well as he could in the midst OF tho
donae aureIs, Suddenly the bear leap
ed from the tree and came rushing at
Davis with mouth wide open 1t was
a critical moment, and no time for re.
aoctlon! To bring the rifle to his relief
was imProcticabIe, The bear, fierce
and chalod TO desperation, was ready to
seize him. There was no way Of ESCAPING
The conAjct-a man and bear fight was
inevitable! Tho benr made roady for
the onset, and w0s in the very act Of
pCuucng upon him, whom Davis, With