Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-11-13
From the ST. Louis Receille
Enemy in Front and Rear,
o R A BEAR AND SNARE STORY.

Having been an interloper in the hunt, we
did not know who our companions were I'M
til the excitement of the day was ended, and
we were called into the " campaign ground"
by the repeated firing of guns, and the blasts
OF the huntman's horn. For our own part
we were delighted that the day had drawn
to close; the "sport % had been nothing,
and the g sfand" where we were posted,
seemed to be in the entire possession of that
race of immense gallinippers that make their
appearance only in the fail, and, IN the sun
shine of the day, bite through your thick
coat and shoes. Our trouble in this matter
was that of others, and one young man, re-
Gently from New England, seemed to have
been particularly afflicted, for, Judging from
his face, doctor would have said he had
bad attack of the small poN, so full was it
of botches and marks. The cold atmos-
phere of the approaching fall chilled these
singing pests, and left the night, the star
light and a generous fire TO be enjoyed in
peace. We never cared much about the
" excitement of chase" and although we
never refused a chance to :" get shot," still
we never jumped " impossible ravines,"
'sbroke our neck" and killed our horse, TO
head deer, or get a scare from an old he
bar" The camp fire is our delght-there,
with an immense quantity of venlson, cold
ham, biscuit, some claret slowed away under
our jacket, and wooden blanket carefully
tucked around the outside of it, we love to
lie upon the lap of earth, and with our eyes
dreamily viewing the armament, and with
our ears wide open, listen to the hunters
tales, who generally keep Truth on full
galop to be any where in sight of their facts,
or having distanced her entirely at the out
set, cause her to abandon them for the eve
ming.
Among the group before us, on the oeca-
sion we speak of, was wiry looking per-
sonage, with a complexion of a young man
inconsistency disigured with crow feet
marks, peculiar to age, while his hair seem
ed prematurey gray, and showed that dis
regard of mixing black and white, that would
have done honor to an amalgamation meet
ing, assembling under the most amiable au-
spices. To learn the cause of this phenom-
enon, became matter of interest to us, and
after considerable beating round the bush,
one of our companions told the following
story, the hero sitting by, to put in the cor
rections -
g You see," said our informant, pointing
at the prematurely gray hunter, " that Hop
good was remarkable all his life, up to a
certain day, for his coal black hair, his head
rvalled bars back in the fat season, for
glossiness and Stiffness"
60 Not Stiffness" said Hopgood, running
his fingers through his long, and rather silky
head covering.
!" Yes, stiffness, Hopgood, genuine stiff
ness, real bristle stiffness, but don't interrupt
me, Hopgood Well, you see his black,
stiff hair was his pride, and when he went
counting, he used to bow at the girls so as
to bring his shoe brush direct in their faces,
to impress them with its beauty"
g Pooh" said Hopgood, throwing big
log on the camp fire, to interrupt the story
teller.
'sYou may 'poob,' as much as you
please,'' said the story teller, "you know
your har was your pride, and that it was a
sort of mysterious providence, as parson
Angel said, that took away its beauty from
you, so that you could set your affections on
something better"
Hopgood, by this time, was asleep, and
the story teller continued.
" Hopgood is young man about four and
twenty, and he had the worse scare that
man ever had on first bear hunt. He never
lived in woods where the varmints were to
be met WITH until he opened his place upon
this presumption, although he was a good
deer hunter, and considerable at freeing
cat. Well, you see, Hopgood one day went
out, back of his location, with his double
barrel on his shoulder, looking for trees to
split rails from. He took his gun, naturally,
for deer is often to be caught mapping
While trailing about, he came near the do
a Of ht.t. ar ba
foot of which were playing, in all the Inno-
cence of nine days childhood, two bear cubs.
There they were, as black as charcoal, biting
and hugging each other, and rolling about
among the dead leaves, as perfectly unsus-
rushed forward and seized one Of the cubs
in his hand. sReh squalling and squeal-
ing was neyerAGEfore heard. Hopgood was
delighted-he held on to the varmint, and
rather encouraged its cries when he was
suddenly impressed with the idea that an
earthquake was coming up in his rear. He
turned and looked, and there was a she bear
rushing upon him as black as its cub, and to
Hopgood, looking like railroad engine
with its furnace door open. Hopgood drop
ped his prize, and fairly fled towards a fallen
tree, up which he ran with commendable
pFcciplidncgs i nc Dear Observation-Disclosures
horror met Hopgood's vision--on the high
est part Of the trunk Of the fallen tree, sat
in battle lrray, an immense rattle snake. 1t
raised its head, and gave the note Of alarm.
Its skin glistened, and changed color rapid
", showing that the muscles underneath
were preparing for spring. HoPgood
stopped and turned on the bear; she was
now within ten feet Of him, her mouth open
so wide that Hopgood said he saw room
enough down her throat 10 be buried in
Taking deliberate aim, be fired his double
barrel, one load after the other. The bear
brushed HE leg with her fore paw, and roll
ed heavily off the Tree, fairly shaking the
earth when she struck the ground. A mo-
ment more, Hopgood was out Of reach Of
the serpent. He had saved his life, but his