The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-08-02

NilHittii -hhhhitt Mllll-ohf- nlfh hhfuhG on
boldly before.
fuT some timg IL was wuartEUmg work H'~j
The doga were soon lost in The thickcL Twas
eyeFlasdngly caught by tho briars aud bougha
Of tho underwood. Once bqoAme complete
y imprisoned in tho dead branches and brAirs
and tall swamp weeds all around While in
this position a wildeatleaped almost directly
over my head liz upon fallen trunk, and,
as il ran, in leaps away, turned upon my
saddle, and sont a handful of buck-shot rat
ding around him from my two-harrelled shot
gun, This cut the Gorlian knot which bound
nae, for one conynlsiye spring Of my aston
shed horse landed me safely out
Two moro hours Of hot, tearing struggle
through tho thieket My buek-skinnod friend
rode beside me, eagerly on the alqri, when j
noticed a Kind OF lurrow through the dead
leaves.
"Coloncl," said ], refining in, "hero are
bear signs-chll up the dogs"
Call up the dogs the Colonel did ira We
hement nlanner,as his oye followed my point
cd finger. In moment the forest rang with
their baying, aud they soon disappeared up
ON the trail, followed by my friends at fun
tilt
followed but in two hundred yards I
stopped-my heavy doublc-barrclod gun had
boon jerite,l oo, of say hand by a grape vine.
and hurled ten feet behind my back. My
powder pouch had been torn OFT blanket
plackcd from under my saddle, spur ripped
away, hat knocked into cooked one, and
hung upon a dead limb.
I diamnunicd and considered matters, as
the cry Or the dogs aud the shouts of the hun
ters died in the distance. ] was upon slight
nablc swamp. The thick underground was
tightly tangled with tri9J vines and matted
with the limbs of fallen trees knew that
this thicket was a bed ofmud, and that ponds
and even bayous, hay about in every direc-
ton. II was, in one word, the thickcst and
most impenctrable forest ever saw--and
through il had to ride at a tearing gallop.-
/ was in for it.
Putting my broken spur in my pocket, ]
took OF my saddle and fixing the blanket
pouch strapped around me under my coat,
so as to hold shut my waistcoat which had
been torn open-tho dimes scattered from it,
pockets, which did not stop to collect-but
left them to be dug mp by farmers n hundred
years hence, and 10 be pamPhlotcd on by an
tiquaries Of that age. Cutting long thick
hickory mounted again, dashed my bat down
over my eyes and sat Off My grey horse
was the best beast in the company. had
character 10 establish, and our rate of travel
over the peculiarly unsuitable "turf," would
have astonished race course Ny blood was
up; so was my horses Ten times did dis
mount TO pick up my hat or gun, torn away
by the brush; but ten times did I rcmount
and lay ON the hickory. / was intoxicated-
mad with excitcment-posses5cd by the. sed
of hunting. The cry of hounds and men
sounded leudr'; and lou,ler, as I dashed upon
them-I was mp with the hindcrmost horse1
man--past him-up with the foremost He
was leaning over his saddle driving in the
bloody spur, and shouting like a madman.,
had too much use for my breath to utter a
ff-worl. My foremost friend was left behind
with lash of the hickory-and | was almost
upon the bear.
A black bear is very modest, monkish in
dividrral in cage eating a ginger cake. a
bear bouncing away through the swamp, with
Q. a.pack of dogs and shouting men after him, is
another animal. lie is twice as large, and a
thousand times more worth looking at. lie
moved amazingly fast, although so cumbrous
with fat and wool and great feet. Every
now and then he would fall upon his seat,
wheel around and smte right and left with
his fore paws, scattering like chnff the dogs
which Overwhelmed him. was astonished
at his fury-at the ranng fury of the dogs
! and of the men. Even the horses seemed
frantic with the fight. l was as full of the
fury as the rest. strove to force my horse
upon the bear, intending to kick him to death
or beat him 10 death on the head with my gun
or stirrup iron, or tear him limb from limb
with my burning hands, was raving, furious
--ir,sanc.-HeePiag at last frarn my beast 1
ran upon hiln---put aiy gun to bis dripping
side and puilo6-tae trigger of my uncockeI
lock. It was of no usc--I did not know what
I was iioing-sud the boar wns out of sight
before could understand the machinery of
my double barrel
The hunters dashed by income with his
cheek lard open by the blow Of limb, He
WaiFed his hsnd To me as he role by, and l
do not believe he knew anything--in his ox-
citcfnnnt.--of the blood which was gushing
down his face, Again mounting my horse, /