The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-10-22
Correspondence Of the Tribune.
The Hunter Cheney--Encounters
WITH BEARS, WOLVES AND PAINTERS.

A"DIRONDAC, JULY, 1916.
One expects to hear Of hunting achieve.
ments upon our Western frontier, where the
AK Of civilization has not yet frightened away
the wild beasts that haunt the forest. But
here in the heart of the Empire State is a
man whose fame is known far and wide as the
% mighty hunter" and ifdcsperate adventures
and hairbreadth escapes give one a claim to
the soubriquet, it certainly belongs to him.
Some ten or fifteen years ago, Cheney, then
a young man, LEFT Ticonderoga, and with his
rifle on his shoulder plunged into these then
unknown, untrodden wilds. Here he lived
for years on what his gun brought him. Find
ing in his long stretches through the forest.
where the timber is SO thick that you cannot
see an animal more than fifteen rods, that a
rifle was Il useless burden, he got him a pistol
made, about eleven inches in length, which,
with his hunting knife and dog became his
only companions. Eight days at a time he
has been out Of sight Of a human being, or hui
man habitation, hunting by day and lying
down at night under the tree that gave him
most inviting shelter. had him with me four
or five days as a guide, for he knows every
rood Of this desolate region as well as it were
his farm. Moose, deer, bears, wolves, pam
theirs and wild cats, nave by turns become his
spoil, and some othis encounters would honor
Old Daniel Boone himself. Once he came
e1ddenly upon a panther that lay crouched
for a spring within a single bound of him. He
had nothing but his pistol with him wlii2 Inc
glaring eyes and gathered form Of the furious
animal before him, told him that a moments
delay, a miss, or a false cap, would bring them
locked in each others embrace and in a death
struggle. But without alarm or over haste he
o,1,,,I 1tc ,,,-4,l tn lao, ,--. H., .4---
head and fired just as he was s%alIying back
for the spring. The ball entered his brain,
and with one wild bound his life departed and
curious to know whetherhe was not somewhat
agitatcd in finding himself in such close rrox-
unity to a panther ALREADY for the fatal leap,
| asked him how he felt when he saw the an
imal crouching so near him. "Whv," said
he, coolly, 81 felt as if I should kill him.
This was a curious kind of feeling to be up
permost in a man just at that moment, but it
was perfectly characteristic of Cheney.
On another occasion he came in contact
with a VIOLIN the snow. He had discharged
his gun, slightly wounding the animal, when
the infuriatcd creature made at him.. He had
a rifle in his hand, and clubbing it laid the
stock over the VOLTS head. So desperately
did it fight, that he broke the stock into frag-
wents over its head, then selling the barrel,
which, making q better bludgeon, soon broke
in the brain, though not till the sole. iron was
bent and twisted as fit had been used for a
lever instead of a cudgel.
Once he told me he was out hunting on
snow shoes, and had just parted from his COM
panion to whom he gave his knife, when he
broke through the crust and came upon a
bear sleeping out his Winters sleep under the
root of a fallen tree. 1t was an old fellow,
shaking off his torpidity at this sudden
intrusion upon his burial place, he rushed
forth at Cheney. Cheney had barely time to
gather himself up and make ready before the
huge creature was close upon him. Fetching
a dead aim with his pistol right between the
eyes, he pulled trigger, The cap ex.
ploded without discharging the pistol, while
the bear was within few feet of him, wad-
dill 1g along as fast as his unwieldy form would
let HIM. He had no time to place another cap,
SO selzing his pistol by the muzzlc, he aimed
tremendous blow at the creatures head But
the bear caught it on his paw with Il cuff that
sent 1t ten rods from Cheney's hand, and the {
next moment was rolling over Cheney him =,
self in the snow, His knife was gone, and in
mere wrestling the bear evidently had the adj
vantage, and the hunters life seemed not ]
worth a straw. But just then his dog came $
lp, and Selling thecreature from be~hind.mode
let go his hold and defend himself. Che j
ney sprang to his feet and began to look round /
for his pistol. By good luck he saw the {
breech Just pceping out c. the snow, Draw.