Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-03-21
A Bear Story.

A gentleman of this town who has been
spending the winter months about Lake
Moosehead, whose name we withhold for
fear OF consequences that might ensue to our
imminent hazard OIL his return, we have
lately ascertained from an actual eve wit
ness, has enacted the hero in a bear hunt
that throws far in the shade the bear exploit
of Gen. Put of olden time.
The particulars are very nearly as follows !:
The aforesaid gentleman, whom we shall
call Put, for the reason indicated above, and
for shorlness, having recently killed n couple
of moose, started on Monday the 25th Of Feb
ruary, from camp, on bear hunt. lie had
in his eye an old ranger bear which he had
chased early in the winter, and was accom-
panied by Smith, chopper, and particular
friend from Boston who was then on a visit
to MOoseheaJ. The party came upon the
bear in his cave about two miles from Ford's
camp. Beneath an immense rock he had a
den which enabled him TO retreat twenty
feet from the outside. The passage 10 the
farther end OF the cave was crooked and
narrow, so crooked that it was impossible to
shoot him from the mouth of the den.
As may be easily conceived, here was a
dilemma. The bar was .thar'-no doubt
of ,hat-and our hero, Put, had only two
companions 10 assist him in graphing with
the monster if he should happen 10 take the
back track and show his glstening teeth al
the mouth of the den. How TO pass hum a
dish OF cold lead, without a scratch and a
tussle, was the question. The party was for
awhile brought TO a stand. To some sug-
gestions as to whether it was not prudent to
back out, Smith, the chopper, vowed he
would go over to the double camp for some
cal, IL. ell
than 10 give it up. Many plans were pro-
posed. but none seemed 10 be quite ,he thing
Meantime, Put was considering the pre-
dicamenl in which they were placed, calm
Iy and dispassIonately, while seated on the
huti of decayIng pine with h,s hunting
knife in his breast pocket aud double bar
relied gun in his hand. He finally started up,
throwing of his meditative mood, aud re-
marked rather enersetically, gentlemen. I'm
bound TO see the inside of that den.' Feel
ing for his knife which was still in his breast
pocket where he could grasp it in an instant,
and ordering his gun to be passed in close
behind him, Put threw himself fat upon the
ground and commenced working himself
along The passage which was just wide
enough and high enough TO admit his body.
His object was. 10 60 IN lar enough to ascer
Iain the exact position of old bruin by the
glare OF his eye balls, and then, If he was
not forced to use his knife in mug encoun
ter, in which case he was to be pulled out
by his companions who had Il fastening on
his heels for the purpose, 10 haul along his
gun, and by taking deliberate aim at the eye-
| balls, perioraIe the monster by a discharge
| of both barrels. He had worked his way
| about fifteen feet into tins rodgh hole where
| the light of the sun had never entered, w,II,
| his companions as near to his heels as lhev
could conveniently get, when he stopped
| and called tor Il match. A match was pass
ed into the den, and upon lighting il, our
| hero Put discovered that he was within two
! feet of bruin, the animal lying down, quietly
| hack To. Here was another dilemma, and
one which most any consideIate person
would have been glad 10 back out of. Not
so, however with Put. He found he could
shoot the bear from "A turn in the den about
! eight rect from the mouth-so quietly draw
ing himself back 10 this point, and taking
his gun. lie obalned a good ann and lei
! d,1re one barrel. The report was deaienins
and reverberaI ed through the earth and under
the rocks like distant thunder. Put knew
his aim, his charge aud lis execution-rhe
time CONSUMED after The pull of the trigger
in backing our to daylight he did not stop
10 reckon. However that may he, lie and
his companions were outside and heard the
| champing Oi teeth and cries of agony for TWO
or three minutes. After all was silent insii.
preparation was made for another eatrance
The party went IN again as before, each one
al his fellows heels. Put soon WORKED
himself in 10 the monster, aud took hold of
one ofhis pa,cs. He found it lmber and ic
all appearance the bear was dead. Put pull
led on the bears paw-the rest pulled al eacl
Others heels, but they could not start hin
out. After getting out again. they took one
OF the leather belts usually worn about the
body by lurnbermen and hunters in the wood.
aid attached TO 1t some tough twisted withe.
winding one end round stout pole al III.
entrance of the den. With the other end
the he'll, Put again entered and nude it f;,s
10 one of the legs of the bear. He then re-
turned and all hands swayed on the POLE
The bear was finally drawn ouI, and after
fair examination of the critler by the VIC
tors, he was found to measure Seren fee
from his snour to his rump.
ii any country or any age, since the day.
of The elder Put, can furnish an exploit equa
10 this in delerrnnatio ,heroiSm and success
then let us have it. Till then, the younge
Puts successful daring in the wild fastness
ess about Moosehead, shall bear the palm. :
EIniIo,reH yo,effp